diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/ConfHandler.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/ConfHandler.py
index 24f81f7e9e..1bde597254 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/ConfHandler.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/ConfHandler.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from bb.parse import ParseError, resolve_file, ast, logger, handle
 __config_regexp__  = re.compile( r"""
     ^
     (?P<exp>export\s+)?
-    (?P<var>[a-zA-Z0-9\-_+.${}/~:]+?)
+    (?P<var>[a-zA-Z0-9\-_+.${}/~:]*?)
     (\[(?P<flag>[a-zA-Z0-9\-_+.][a-zA-Z0-9\-_+.@/]*)\])?
 
     \s* (
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ def feeder(lineno, s, fn, statements, baseconfig=False, conffile=True):
     m = __config_regexp__.match(s)
     if m:
         groupd = m.groupdict()
+        if groupd['var'] == "":
+            raise ParseError("Empty variable name in assignment: '%s'" % s, fn, lineno);
         ast.handleData(statements, fn, lineno, groupd)
         return
 
diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/tests/parse.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/tests/parse.py
index cb60af3641..e3cba67ad4 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/tests/parse.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/tests/parse.py
@@ -443,3 +443,23 @@ include \\
                 in_file.write("\n".join(lines))
                 in_file.flush()
             bb.parse.handle(recipename_closed, bb.data.createCopy(self.d))
+
+    special_character_assignment = """
+A+="a"
+A+ = "b"
++ = "c"
+"""
+    ambigous_assignment = """
++= "d"
+"""
+    def test_parse_special_character_assignment(self):
+        f = self.parsehelper(self.special_character_assignment)
+        d = bb.parse.handle(f.name, self.d)['']
+        self.assertEqual(d.getVar("A"), " a")
+        self.assertEqual(d.getVar("A+"), "b")
+        self.assertEqual(d.getVar("+"), "c")
+
+        f = self.parsehelper(self.ambigous_assignment)
+        with self.assertRaises(bb.parse.ParseError) as error:
+            bb.parse.handle(f.name, self.d)
+        self.assertIn("Empty variable name in assignment", str(error.exception))