diff --git a/lib/po.js b/lib/po.js
index 6e1e2cd..6407079 100644
--- a/lib/po.js
+++ b/lib/po.js
@@ -64,10 +64,15 @@ PO.parse = function (data) {
     data = data.replace(/\r\n/g, '\n');
     var po = new PO();
     var sections = data.split(/\n\n/);
-    var headers = [sections.shift()];
+    var headers = [];
     //everything until the first 'msgid ""' is considered header
-    while (headers[headers.length - 1].indexOf('msgid ""') < 0) {
-        headers.push(sections.shift());
+    while (sections[0] && (headers.length === 0 || headers[headers.length - 1].indexOf('msgid ""') < 0)) {
+        if (sections[0].match(/msgid "[^"]/)) {
+            //found first real string, adding a dummy header item
+            headers.push('msgid ""');
+        } else {
+            headers.push(sections.shift());
+        }
     }
     headers = headers.join('\n');
     var lines = sections.join('\n').split(/\n/);
diff --git a/test/fixtures/no_header.po b/test/fixtures/no_header.po
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c88eafb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/no_header.po
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# some comment
+
+msgid "First id, no header"
+msgstr ""
+
+msgid "A second string"
+msgstr ""
+
diff --git a/test/headers.js b/test/headers.js
index d3605c4..2584e88 100644
--- a/test/headers.js
+++ b/test/headers.js
@@ -28,3 +28,46 @@ describe('Headers', function () {
         assert.equal(Object.keys(po.headers).length, 12);
     });
 });
+
+describe('PO files with no headers', function () {
+
+    it('Parses an empty string', function () {
+        var po = PO.parse('');
+        assert.notEqual(po, null);
+        // all headers should be empty
+        for (var key in po.headers) {
+            assert.equal(po.headers[key], '');
+        }
+        assert.equal(po.items.length, 0);
+    });
+
+    it('Parses a minimal example', function () {
+        var po = PO.parse('msgid "minimal PO"\nmsgstr ""');
+        assert.notEqual(po, null);
+        // all headers should be empty
+        for (var key in po.headers) {
+            assert.equal(po.headers[key], '');
+        }
+        assert.equal(po.items.length, 1);
+    });
+
+    describe('advanced example', function () {
+        var po;
+
+        before(function (done) {
+            PO.load(__dirname + '/fixtures/no_header.po', function (err, result) {
+                assert.equal(err, null);
+                po = result;
+                done();
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('Parses the po file', function () {
+            assert.notEqual(po, null);
+        });
+
+        it('Finds all items', function () {
+            assert.equal(po.items.length, 2);
+        });
+    });
+});