diff --git a/findutils/xargs.c b/findutils/xargs.c
index 5870b8a16..69f83b128 100644
--- a/findutils/xargs.c
+++ b/findutils/xargs.c
@@ -577,6 +577,9 @@ int xargs_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		G.argv = argv;
 		argc = 0;
 		read_args = process_stdin_with_replace;
+		/* Make -I imply -r. GNU findutils seems to do the same: */
+		/* (otherwise "echo -n | xargs -I% echo %" would SEGV) */
+		opt |= OPT_NO_EMPTY;
 	} else
 #endif
 	{