diff --git a/src/Geocoder/Exception/CollectionIsEmpty.php b/src/Geocoder/Exception/CollectionIsEmpty.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed0aadb9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Geocoder/Exception/CollectionIsEmpty.php
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Geocoder\Exception;
+
+class CollectionIsEmpty extends \RuntimeException implements Exception
+{
+}
diff --git a/src/Geocoder/Model/AddressCollection.php b/src/Geocoder/Model/AddressCollection.php
index 6a4c671f1..1eef24945 100644
--- a/src/Geocoder/Model/AddressCollection.php
+++ b/src/Geocoder/Model/AddressCollection.php
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 namespace Geocoder\Model;
 
+use Geocoder\Exception\CollectionIsEmpty;
+
 final class AddressCollection implements \IteratorAggregate, \Countable
 {
     /**
@@ -34,12 +36,12 @@ public function count()
     }
 
     /**
-     * @return Address|null
+     * @return Address
      */
     public function first()
     {
         if (empty($this->addresses)) {
-            return null;
+            throw new CollectionIsEmpty('The AddressCollection instance is empty.');
         }
 
         return reset($this->addresses);
diff --git a/tests/.cached_responses/c7b4c0eac1b73b7eb7be01c558f330415f7ea0d6 b/tests/.cached_responses/c7b4c0eac1b73b7eb7be01c558f330415f7ea0d6
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a33132c90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/.cached_responses/c7b4c0eac1b73b7eb7be01c558f330415f7ea0d6
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+s:1907:"{
+   "results" : [
+      {
+         "address_components" : [
+            {
+               "long_name" : "10",
+               "short_name" : "10",
+               "types" : [ "street_number" ]
+            },
+            {
+               "long_name" : "Avenue Gambetta",
+               "short_name" : "Avenue Gambetta",
+               "types" : [ "route" ]
+            },
+            {
+               "long_name" : "Paris",
+               "short_name" : "Paris",
+               "types" : [ "locality", "political" ]
+            },
+            {
+               "long_name" : "Paris",
+               "short_name" : "75",
+               "types" : [ "administrative_area_level_2", "political" ]
+            },
+            {
+               "long_name" : "Île-de-France",
+               "short_name" : "IDF",
+               "types" : [ "administrative_area_level_1", "political" ]
+            },
+            {
+               "long_name" : "France",
+               "short_name" : "FR",
+               "types" : [ "country", "political" ]
+            },
+            {
+               "long_name" : "75020",
+               "short_name" : "75020",
+               "types" : [ "postal_code" ]
+            }
+         ],
+         "formatted_address" : "10 Avenue Gambetta, 75020 Paris, France",
+         "geometry" : {
+            "location" : {
+               "lat" : 48.8631013,
+               "lng" : 2.3888086
+            },
+            "location_type" : "ROOFTOP",
+            "viewport" : {
+               "northeast" : {
+                  "lat" : 48.8644502802915,
+                  "lng" : 2.390157580291502
+               },
+               "southwest" : {
+                  "lat" : 48.8617523197085,
+                  "lng" : 2.387459619708498
+               }
+            }
+         },
+         "place_id" : "ChIJ4b303vJt5kcRF9AQdh4ZjWc",
+         "types" : [ "street_address" ]
+      }
+   ],
+   "status" : "OK"
+}
+";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/Geocoder/Tests/Model/AddressFactoryTest.php b/tests/Geocoder/Tests/Model/AddressFactoryTest.php
index db5ce10db..015b80c13 100644
--- a/tests/Geocoder/Tests/Model/AddressFactoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Geocoder/Tests/Model/AddressFactoryTest.php
@@ -59,4 +59,17 @@ public function testFormatStringWithLeadingNumeral()
 
         $this->assertEquals('1st ave 1A', $addresses->first()->getStreetName());
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \Geocoder\Exception\CollectionIsEmpty
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromEmptyArray()
+    {
+        $addresses = $this->factory->createFromArray([]);
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Geocoder\Model\AddressCollection', $addresses);
+        $this->assertCount(0, $addresses);
+
+        $addresses->first(); // expecting exception here
+    }
 }