diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/WellConnections.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/WellConnections.hpp
index dd348ef1e..bc6406077 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/WellConnections.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/WellConnections.hpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ namespace Opm {
 
         void add( Connection );
         size_t size() const;
+        bool empty() const;
         const Connection& operator[](size_t index) const;
         const Connection& get(size_t index) const;
         const Connection& getFromIJK(const int i, const int j, const int k) const;
diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/Well.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/Well.cpp
index 8f397c080..bd608fa42 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/Well.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/Well.cpp
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ bool Well::updateConnections(std::shared_ptr<WellConnections> connections_arg) {
 
 bool Well::updateConnections(std::shared_ptr<WellConnections> connections_arg, const EclipseGrid& grid, const std::vector<int>& pvtnum) {
     bool update = this->updateConnections(connections_arg);
-    if (this->pvt_table == 0 && this->connections->size() > 0) {
+    if (this->pvt_table == 0 && !this->connections->empty()) {
         const auto& lowest = this->connections->lowest();
         auto active_index = grid.activeIndex(lowest.global_index());
         this->pvt_table = pvtnum[active_index];
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ double Well::getRefDepth() const {
         return this->ref_depth;
 
     // ref depth was defaulted and we get the depth of the first completion
-    if( this->connections->size() == 0 ) {
+    if( this->connections->empty() ) {
         throw std::invalid_argument( "No completions defined for well: "
                                      + name()
                                      + ". Can not infer reference depth" );
diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/WellConnections.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/WellConnections.cpp
index c721b43c9..d4c8f97f8 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/WellConnections.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/Schedule/Well/WellConnections.cpp
@@ -417,6 +417,10 @@ inline std::array< size_t, 3> directionIndices(const Opm::Connection::Direction
         return m_connections.size();
     }
 
+    bool WellConnections::empty() const {
+        return this->size() == size_t{0};
+    }
+
     const Connection& WellConnections::get(size_t index) const {
         return (*this)[index];
     }
@@ -466,7 +470,7 @@ inline std::array< size_t, 3> directionIndices(const Opm::Connection::Direction
     }
 
     bool WellConnections::allConnectionsShut( ) const {
-        if (this->size() == 0)
+        if (this->empty())
             return false;
 
 
diff --git a/tests/parser/ConnectionTests.cpp b/tests/parser/ConnectionTests.cpp
index ec1eb8cb2..1494c0aa8 100644
--- a/tests/parser/ConnectionTests.cpp
+++ b/tests/parser/ConnectionTests.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ inline std::ostream& operator<<( std::ostream& stream, const WellConnections& cs
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(CreateWellConnectionsOK) {
     Opm::WellConnections completionSet(Opm::Connection::Order::TRACK, 1,1);
+    BOOST_CHECK_MESSAGE( completionSet.empty(), "Default-constructed completion set must be empty" );
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( 0U , completionSet.size() );
     BOOST_CHECK(!completionSet.allConnectionsShut());
 }
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(AddCompletionSizeCorrect) {
     Opm::Connection completion2( 10,10,11, 102, 1, 0.0, Opm::Connection::State::SHUT , 99.88, 355.113, 0.25, 0.0, 0.0, 0, dir, kind, 0, true);
     completionSet.add( completion1 );
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( 1U , completionSet.size() );
+    BOOST_CHECK_MESSAGE( !completionSet.empty(), "Non-empty completion set must not be empty" );
 
     completionSet.add( completion2 );
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( 2U , completionSet.size() );