diff --git a/ncompress-4.2.4-zerobyteforce.patch b/ncompress-4.2.4-zerobyteforce.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2779d43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ncompress-4.2.4-zerobyteforce.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--- ncompress-4.2.4/compress42.c.zerobyteforce	2005-09-02 18:42:56.000000000 +0530
++++ ncompress-4.2.4/compress42.c	2005-09-02 18:43:55.000000000 +0530
+@@ -1145,7 +1145,7 @@
+ 			if (fdout != 1 && close(fdout))
+ 				write_error();
+ 
+-			if (bytes_in == 0)
++			if ( (bytes_in == 0) && (force == 0 ) )
+ 			{
+ 				if (remove_ofname)
+ 				{
diff --git a/ncompress.spec b/ncompress.spec
index a269bcf..658bc55 100644
--- a/ncompress.spec
+++ b/ncompress.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Summary: Fast compression and decompression utilities.
 Name: ncompress
 Version: 4.2.4
-Release: 42
+Release: 43
 License: distributable
 Group: Applications/File
 Source: ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/utils/compress/ncompress-4.2.4.tar.Z
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Patch0: ncompress-4.2.4-make.patch
 Patch1: ncompress-4.2.4-lfs2.patch
 Patch2: ncompress-4.2.4-filenamelen.patch
 Patch3: ncompress-2GB.patch
+Patch4: ncompress-4.2.4-zerobyteforce.patch
 BuildRequires: gcc glibc-devel fileutils
 BuildRoot: %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-root
 
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ which are compatible with the original UNIX compress utility.
 %patch1 -p1 -b .lfs
 %patch2 -p1 -b .filenamelen
 %patch3 -p1 -b .2GB
+%patch4 -p1 -b .zerobyteforce
 
 %build
 
@@ -67,6 +69,9 @@ rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
 %doc LZW.INFO README
 
 %changelog
+* Thu Sep 22 2005 Peter Vrabec <pvrabec@redhat.com> 4.2.4-43
+- compress zero-sized files when -f is used(#167615)
+
 * Fri Mar 18 2005 Peter Vrabec <pvrabec@redhat.com>
 - rebuilt