diff --git a/distarray/dist/maps.py b/distarray/dist/maps.py
index 9fd98671..1ac96114 100644
--- a/distarray/dist/maps.py
+++ b/distarray/dist/maps.py
@@ -612,7 +612,17 @@ def __new__(cls, context, shape, dist=None, grid_shape=None, targets=None):
 
         # list of `ClientMap` objects, one per dimension.
         maps = [map_from_sizes(*args) for args in zip(shape, dist, grid_shape)]
-        return cls.from_maps(context=context, maps=maps, targets=targets)
+
+        self = cls.from_maps(context=context, maps=maps, targets=targets)
+
+        # TODO: FIXME: this is a workaround.  The reason we slice here is to
+        # return a distribution with no empty local shapes.  The `from_maps()`
+        # classmethod should be fixed to ensure no empty local arrays are
+        # created in the first place.  That will remove the need to slice the
+        # distribution to remove empty localshapes.
+        if all(d in ('n', 'b') for d in self.dist):
+            self = self.slice((slice(None),)*self.ndim)
+        return self
 
     @classmethod
     def from_global_dim_data(cls, context, global_dim_data, targets=None):
diff --git a/distarray/dist/tests/test_maps.py b/distarray/dist/tests/test_maps.py
index 2e552899..c7823bd3 100644
--- a/distarray/dist/tests/test_maps.py
+++ b/distarray/dist/tests/test_maps.py
@@ -300,5 +300,23 @@ def test_all_n_dist(self):
         self.context.ones(distribution)
 
 
+class TestNoEmptyLocals(ContextTestCase):
+
+    def test_no_empty_local_arrays_4_targets(self):
+        for n in range(1, 20):
+            dist = Distribution(self.context, shape=(n,),
+                                dist=('b',),
+                                targets=self.context.targets[:4])
+            for ls in dist.localshapes():
+                self.assertNotIn(0, ls)
+
+    def test_no_empty_local_arrays_3_targets(self):
+        for n in range(1, 20):
+            dist = Distribution(self.context, shape=(n,),
+                                dist=('b',),
+                                targets=self.context.targets[:3])
+            for ls in dist.localshapes():
+                self.assertNotIn(0, ls)
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main(verbosity=2)