diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/codec/language/Nysiis.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/codec/language/Nysiis.java
index efcc13f6ad..18baa5b19a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/codec/language/Nysiis.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/codec/language/Nysiis.java
@@ -267,7 +267,8 @@ public String nysiis(String str) {
 
         // First character of key = first character of name.
         final StringBuilder key = new StringBuilder(str.length());
-        key.append(str.charAt(0));
+        final char firstChar = str.charAt(0);
+        key.append(firstChar);
 
         // Transcode remaining characters, incrementing by one character each time
         final char[] chars = str.toCharArray();
@@ -306,6 +307,12 @@ public String nysiis(String str) {
             if (lastChar == 'A') {
                 key.deleteCharAt(key.length() - 1);
             }
+
+            if (key.length() == 0) {
+                // We've removed the first character of the string. Likely because it was an S or A
+                // We should return at least the first character
+                key.append(firstChar);
+            }
         }
 
         final String string = key.toString();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/codec/language/NysiisTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/codec/language/NysiisTest.java
index 5e594eacd6..475513acd9 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/codec/language/NysiisTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/codec/language/NysiisTest.java
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@
 
 package org.apache.commons.codec.language;
 
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-
 import org.apache.commons.codec.AbstractStringEncoderTest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
 /**
  * Tests {@link Nysiis}
  */
@@ -136,7 +136,9 @@ void testDropBy() {
                 new String[] { "JILES", "JAL" },
                 // violates 6: if the last two characters are AY, remove A
                 new String[] { "CARRAWAY", "CARY" },       // Original: CARAY
-                new String[] { "YAMADA", "YANAD" });
+                new String[] { "YAMADA", "YANAD" },
+                new String[] { "ASH", "A"},
+                new String[] { "SSH", "S"});
     }
 
     @Test