diff --git a/lib/sgpres.gi b/lib/sgpres.gi
index b0ba11e406..abd8ed4c24 100644
--- a/lib/sgpres.gi
+++ b/lib/sgpres.gi
@@ -2904,6 +2904,7 @@ local m,offset,rels,ri,ccr,i,r,ct,A,a,w,n,DATA,p,ds,dr,
   fi;
   offset:=m+1;
   rels:=ShallowCopy(freerels);
+  rels:=Filtered(freerels, x -> Length(x) > 0);
   SortBy(rels,Length);
   ri:=Union(rels,List(rels,x->x^-1));
   ri:=List(ri,LetterRepAssocWord);
diff --git a/tst/testbugfix/2019-02-19-cornercase-mtc.tst b/tst/testbugfix/2019-02-19-cornercase-mtc.tst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..369dac2eaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tst/testbugfix/2019-02-19-cornercase-mtc.tst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+gap> F := FreeGroup(1);;
+gap> rels := [F.1^2, One(F)];;
+gap> G := F / rels;;
+gap> Order(G);
+2