diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index 9197b0c..f068514 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -56,6 +56,14 @@ func put(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 	if *verbose {
 		log.Printf("incoming: '%s'", body)
 	}
+	// XXX: I am going to posit that there is something funky with how I write
+	// the error out below; If I don't check this, and I get to the
+	// JSONError{err.Error()} below then the app panics.
+	if string(body) == "" {
+		b, _ := json.Marshal(JSONError{"empty body"})
+		http.Error(w, string(b), http.StatusMethodNotAllowed)
+		return
+	}
 	parse_err := json.Unmarshal(body, &message)
 	if parse_err != nil {
 		b, _ := json.Marshal(JSONError{err.Error()})