diff --git a/src/fbt/Transform/FbtTransform/FbtUtils.php b/src/fbt/Transform/FbtTransform/FbtUtils.php
index d42a376..26319ba 100644
--- a/src/fbt/Transform/FbtTransform/FbtUtils.php
+++ b/src/fbt/Transform/FbtTransform/FbtUtils.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace fbt\Transform\FbtTransform;
 
+use fbt\Exceptions\FbtException;
 use fbt\Exceptions\FbtParserException;
 use function fbt\invariant;
 use fbt\Runtime\fbtElement;
@@ -381,6 +382,11 @@ public static function filterEmptyNodes(array $nodes): array
                 return $node->innertext;
             }
 
+            if ($node->isElement() && ! $node->isNamespacedElement() && ! $node->innertext()) {
+                // todo: this should catch in _createFbtFunctionCallNode
+                invariant(false, 'text cannot be null');
+            }
+
             return ! $node->isComment();
         }, ARRAY_FILTER_USE_BOTH);
 
diff --git a/tests/fbt/fbtTest.php b/tests/fbt/fbtTest.php
index 7ee7325..cd058ce 100644
--- a/tests/fbt/fbtTest.php
+++ b/tests/fbt/fbtTest.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 namespace tests\fbt;
 
+use fbt\Exceptions\FbtException;
 use fbt\Lib\IntlViewerContext;
 use fbt\Runtime\Shared\fbt;
 use fbt\Runtime\Shared\FbtHooks;
@@ -17,6 +18,19 @@ private static function transform($document): string
         return FbtTransform::transform($document);
     }
 
+    public function testDisableTagsWithoutContent()
+    {
+        self::expectExceptionMessage('text cannot be null');
+
+        self::transform(<<<FBT
+<fbt desc="Empty tags test">
+    first <fbt:param name="text">test</fbt:param>
+    <p></p>
+</fbt>
+FBT
+        );
+    }
+
     public function testPlural()
     {
         $fbt = fbt(\fbt\fbt::plural('translator', 2, ['showCount' => 'yes', 'count' => 2]), 'Plural word test');