diff --git a/nerval/parse.py b/nerval/parse.py
index fda2b66cbbd8057942ede7911f82e925b33fdd11..65f8d943897e87bbfe50cced07fb5cfbe2ad5c0f 100644
--- a/nerval/parse.py
+++ b/nerval/parse.py
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ def parse_bio(lines: List[str]) -> dict:
     containing_tag = None
 
     for index, line in enumerate(lines):
+        if not line:
+            continue
+
         word, label = parse_line(index, line)
 
         # Preserve hyphens to avoid confusion with the hyphens added later during alignment
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 2d934c3add4f78e9762e6abc35a7acf722e55111..fbce7f1a477bf0f4c128cc37d82aa53c902399d9 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ def fake_annot_bio():
     return FIXTURES / "test_annot.bio"
 
 
+@pytest.fixture()
+def fake_annot_with_empty_lines_bio():
+    return FIXTURES / "test_annot_with_empty_lines.bio"
+
+
 @pytest.fixture()
 def fake_predict_bio():
     return FIXTURES / "test_predict.bio"
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/test_annot_with_empty_lines.bio b/tests/fixtures/test_annot_with_empty_lines.bio
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6988d56cf6f272d747d6e9eda65e01da030fe1e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/test_annot_with_empty_lines.bio
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Gérard B-PER
+de I-PER
+
+Nerval I-PER
+was O
+born O
+
+in O
+Paris B-LOC
+in O
+
+1808 B-DAT
+. O
diff --git a/tests/test_parse_bio.py b/tests/test_parse_bio.py
index 5f807341a0bb05c5b20bd839c5a77c5eb30c5a7d..e50f6af54dfd49be4fce01d9416a465f6a7d2a5a 100644
--- a/tests/test_parse_bio.py
+++ b/tests/test_parse_bio.py
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ expected_parsed_end_of_file = {
         (pytest.lazy_fixture("fake_annot_bio"), expected_parsed_annot),
         (pytest.lazy_fixture("fake_predict_bio"), expected_parsed_predict),
         (pytest.lazy_fixture("empty_bio"), None),
+        (pytest.lazy_fixture("fake_annot_with_empty_lines_bio"), expected_parsed_annot),
         (pytest.lazy_fixture("bioeslu_bio"), expected_parsed_annot),
         (pytest.lazy_fixture("end_of_file_bio"), expected_parsed_end_of_file),
     ],