diff --git a/bolt/include/bolt/Core/BinaryFunction.h b/bolt/include/bolt/Core/BinaryFunction.h
--- a/bolt/include/bolt/Core/BinaryFunction.h
+++ b/bolt/include/bolt/Core/BinaryFunction.h
@@ -1074,6 +1074,14 @@
     return N;
   }
 
+  /// Return true if function has instructions to emit.
+  bool hasNonPseudoInstructions() const {
+    for (const BinaryBasicBlock &BB : blocks())
+      if (BB.getNumNonPseudos() > 0)
+        return true;
+    return false;
+  }
+
   /// Return MC symbol associated with the function.
   /// All references to the function should use this symbol.
   MCSymbol *getSymbol(const FragmentNum Fragment = FragmentNum::main()) {
diff --git a/bolt/lib/Core/BinaryEmitter.cpp b/bolt/lib/Core/BinaryEmitter.cpp
--- a/bolt/lib/Core/BinaryEmitter.cpp
+++ b/bolt/lib/Core/BinaryEmitter.cpp
@@ -287,6 +287,11 @@
   if (Function.getState() == BinaryFunction::State::Empty)
     return false;
 
+  // Avoid emitting function without instructions when overwriting the original
+  // function in-place. Otherwise, emit the empty function to define the symbol.
+  if (!BC.HasRelocations && !Function.hasNonPseudoInstructions())
+    return false;
+
   MCSection *Section =
       BC.getCodeSection(Function.getCodeSectionName(FF.getFragmentNum()));
   Streamer.switchSection(Section);
diff --git a/bolt/test/X86/nop-function.s b/bolt/test/X86/nop-function.s
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bolt/test/X86/nop-function.s
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+## Check that BOLT preserves nop instruction if it's the only instruction
+## in a function.
+
+# REQUIRES: system-linux
+
+# RUN: llvm-mc -filetype=obj -triple x86_64-unknown-linux %s -o %t.o
+# RUN: ld.lld %t.o -o %t.exe -q
+# RUN: llvm-bolt %t.exe -o %t.bolt.exe --relocs=0
+# RUN: llvm-objdump -d %t.bolt.exe | FileCheck %s
+
+  .text
+  .globl nop_function
+  .type nop_function,@function
+nop_function:
+  .cfi_startproc
+  nop
+# CHECK: <nop_function>:
+# CHECK-NEXT: nop
+
+  .size nop_function, .-nop_function
+  .cfi_endproc
+
+
+  .globl _start
+  .type _start,@function
+_start:
+  .cfi_startproc
+  call nop_function
+  .size _start, .-_start
+  .cfi_endproc