diff --git a/common/core/web/input-processor/src/text/inputProcessor.ts b/common/core/web/input-processor/src/text/inputProcessor.ts
index 65780232033..97c428d7d1b 100644
--- a/common/core/web/input-processor/src/text/inputProcessor.ts
+++ b/common/core/web/input-processor/src/text/inputProcessor.ts
@@ -171,6 +171,11 @@ namespace com.keyman.text {
               if(pair.p < KEYSTROKE_EPSILON) {
                 break;
               } else if(timer && timer() >= TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD) {
+                // Note:  it's always possible that the thread _executing_ our JS
+                // got paused by the OS, even if JS itself is single-threaded.
+                //
+                // The case where `alternates` is initialized (line 167) but empty
+                // (because of net-zero loop iterations) MUST be handled.
                 break;
               }
 
@@ -187,6 +192,8 @@ namespace com.keyman.text {
               
               // If alternateBehavior.beep == true, ignore it.  It's a disallowed key sequence,
               // so we expect users to never intend their use.
+              //
+              // Also possible that this set of conditions fail for all evaluated alternates.
               if(alternateBehavior && !alternateBehavior.beep && pair.p > 0) {
                 let transform: Transform = alternateBehavior.transcription.transform;
                 
@@ -215,7 +222,9 @@ namespace com.keyman.text {
         // -- All keystroke (and 'alternate') processing is now complete.  Time to finalize everything! --
         
         // Notify the ModelManager of new input - it's predictive text time!
-        ruleBehavior.transcription.alternates = alternates;
+        if(alternates && alternates.length > 0) {
+          ruleBehavior.transcription.alternates = alternates;
+        }
         // Yes, even for ruleBehavior.triggersDefaultCommand.  Those tend to change the context.
         ruleBehavior.predictionPromise = this.languageProcessor.predict(ruleBehavior.transcription);
 
diff --git a/common/core/web/input-processor/src/text/prediction/languageProcessor.ts b/common/core/web/input-processor/src/text/prediction/languageProcessor.ts
index 17faf9e15de..d9a74b3a877 100644
--- a/common/core/web/input-processor/src/text/prediction/languageProcessor.ts
+++ b/common/core/web/input-processor/src/text/prediction/languageProcessor.ts
@@ -323,8 +323,16 @@ namespace com.keyman.text.prediction {
         this.lmEngine.resetContext(context);
       }
 
+      let alternates = transcription.alternates;
+      if(!alternates || alternates.length == 0) {
+        alternates = [{
+          sample: transcription.transform,
+          p: 1.0
+        }];
+      }
+
       let transform = transcription.transform;
-      var promise = this.currentPromise = this.lmEngine.predict(transcription.alternates || transcription.transform, context);
+      var promise = this.currentPromise = this.lmEngine.predict(alternates, context);
 
       let lp = this;
       return promise.then(function(suggestions: Suggestion[]) {
diff --git a/common/predictive-text/worker/model-compositor.ts b/common/predictive-text/worker/model-compositor.ts
index 5c41e919576..1cd69d9616a 100644
--- a/common/predictive-text/worker/model-compositor.ts
+++ b/common/predictive-text/worker/model-compositor.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,25 @@ class ModelCompositor {
 
     if(!(transformDistribution instanceof Array)) {
       transformDistribution = [ {sample: transformDistribution, p: 1.0} ];
+    } else if(transformDistribution.length == 0) {
+      /*
+         Robust stop-gap: if our other filters somehow fail, this fixes the 
+         zero-length array by making it match the form of the array that
+         would result if it were instead called with the other legal 
+         parameter type - a single Transform.
+
+         Unfortunately, the method will lack all data about even 
+         the original keystroke that resulted in the call... but this way, 
+         we can at least get some predictions rather than shortcutting 
+         and producing none whatsoever.      
+      */
+      transformDistribution.push({
+        sample: {
+          insert: '',
+          deleteLeft: 0
+        },
+        p: 1.0
+      })
     }
 
     let inputTransform = transformDistribution.sort(function(a, b) {