diff --git a/extra/farkup/farkup-tests.factor b/extra/farkup/farkup-tests.factor
index 8dc590449e..7176486f8e 100755
--- a/extra/farkup/farkup-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/farkup/farkup-tests.factor
@@ -61,3 +61,5 @@ IN: farkup.tests
 [ "<p><img src=\"lol.jpg\" alt=\"teh lol\"/></p>" ] [ "[[image:lol.jpg|teh lol]]" convert-farkup ] unit-test
 [ "<p><a href=\"lol.com\"></a></p>" ] [ "[[lol.com]]" convert-farkup ] unit-test
 [ "<p><a href=\"lol.com\">haha</a></p>" ] [ "[[lol.com|haha]]" convert-farkup ] unit-test
+
+[ ] [ "[{}]" convert-farkup drop ] unit-test
diff --git a/extra/xmode/catalog/catalog.factor b/extra/xmode/catalog/catalog.factor
index 62f0f6ede3..22d3217ee6 100755
--- a/extra/xmode/catalog/catalog.factor
+++ b/extra/xmode/catalog/catalog.factor
@@ -36,9 +36,13 @@ TAGS>
     f \ modes set-global ;
 
 MEMO: (load-mode) ( name -- rule-sets )
-    modes at mode-file
-    "extra/xmode/modes/" prepend
-    resource-path utf8 <file-reader> parse-mode ;
+    modes at [
+        mode-file
+        "extra/xmode/modes/" prepend
+        resource-path utf8 <file-reader> parse-mode
+    ] [
+        "text" (load-mode)
+    ] if* ;
 
 SYMBOL: rule-sets