diff --git includes/content.inc includes/content.inc
index 3c8442c..3375e5c 100644
--- includes/content.inc
+++ includes/content.inc
@@ -277,6 +277,10 @@ function ctools_content_render($type, $subtype, $conf, $keywords = array(), $arg
 
     $content = $function($subtype, $conf, $args, $pane_context, $incoming_content);
 
+    if (empty($content)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     // Set up some defaults and other massaging on the content before we hand
     // it back to the caller.
     if (!isset($content->type)) {