--- a/liboctave/Array.cc
+++ b/liboctave/Array.cc
@@ -1500,7 +1500,7 @@
       Array<idx_vector> idx (dim_vector (a.ndims (), 1));
       idx(0) = i;
       idx(1) = j;
-      for (int k = 0; k < a.ndims (); k++)
+      for (int k = 2; k < a.ndims (); k++)
         idx(k) = idx_vector (0, a.dimensions(k));
       assign (idx, a);
     }

--- a/scripts/testfun/assert.m
+++ b/scripts/testfun/assert.m
@@ -125,9 +125,8 @@
               error ();
             endif
             if (empty)
-              v = cell (1, 0);
-            endif
-            if (normal)
+              v = {};
+            elseif (normal)
               v = {v};
             else
               v = v(:)';
@@ -307,13 +306,19 @@
 %!error assert (x,y)
 %!error assert (3, x);
 %!error assert (x, 3);
-
-## check usage statements
-%!error assert
-%!error assert(1,2,3,4,5)
+%!test
+%! # Empty structures
+%! x = resize (x, 0, 1);
+%! y = resize (y, 0, 1);
+%! assert (x, y);
 
 ## strings
 %!assert("dog","dog")
 %!error assert("dog","cat")
 %!error assert("dog",3);
 %!error assert(3,"dog");
+
+## check input validation
+%!error assert
+%!error assert (1,2,3,4,5)
+