diff --git a/fuzz/fuzz_targets/fuzz_write.rs b/fuzz/fuzz_targets/fuzz_write.rs
index f1f74a5e..b3415fbb 100644
--- a/fuzz/fuzz_targets/fuzz_write.rs
+++ b/fuzz/fuzz_targets/fuzz_write.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@ pub enum BasicFileOperation<'k> {
     },
     ShallowCopy(Box<FileOperation<'k>>),
     DeepCopy(Box<FileOperation<'k>>),
-    MergeWithOtherFile(Box<[FileOperation<'k>]>)
+    MergeWithOtherFile {
+        first: Box<FileOperation<'k>>,
+        rest: Box<[FileOperation<'k>]>
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Arbitrary, Clone, Debug)]
@@ -85,13 +88,14 @@ where
             do_operation(writer, &base, false, flush_on_finish_file)?;
             writer.deep_copy_file_from_path(&base.path, &path)?;
         }
-        BasicFileOperation::MergeWithOtherFile(other_ops) => {
+        BasicFileOperation::MergeWithOtherFile { first, rest } => {
             let mut other_writer = zip::ZipWriter::new(Cursor::new(Vec::new()));
-            other_ops.iter().for_each(|operation| {
+            let _ = do_operation(&mut other_writer, &first, false, flush_on_finish_file);
+            rest.iter().for_each(|operation| {
                 let _ = do_operation(
                     &mut other_writer,
                     &operation,
-                    abort,
+                    false,
                     false,
                 );
             });
diff --git a/src/read.rs b/src/read.rs
index f2bb65af..671f00f8 100644
--- a/src/read.rs
+++ b/src/read.rs
@@ -329,14 +329,10 @@ impl<R> ZipArchive<R> {
         reader: R,
         central_start: u64,
     ) -> ZipResult<Self> {
-        if files.is_empty() {
-            return Err(ZipError::InvalidArchive(
-                "attempt to finalize empty zip writer into readable",
-            ));
-        }
-        /* This is where the whole file starts. */
-        let (_, first_header) = files.first().unwrap();
-        let initial_offset = first_header.header_start;
+        let initial_offset = match files.first() {
+            Some((_, file)) => file.header_start,
+            None => 0,
+        };
         let shared = Arc::new(zip_archive::Shared {
             files,
             offset: initial_offset,
@@ -368,10 +364,10 @@ impl<R: Read + Seek> ZipArchive<R> {
         &mut self,
         mut w: W,
     ) -> ZipResult<IndexMap<Box<str>, ZipFileData>> {
-        let mut new_files = self.shared.files.clone();
-        if new_files.is_empty() {
+        if self.shared.files.is_empty() {
             return Ok(IndexMap::new());
         }
+        let mut new_files = self.shared.files.clone();
         /* The first file header will probably start at the beginning of the file, but zip doesn't
          * enforce that, and executable zips like PEX files will have a shebang line so will
          * definitely be greater than 0.