diff --git a/src/cfgparse.y b/src/cfgparse.y
index 5b2b4b5c..10ca48cc 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.y
+++ b/src/cfgparse.y
@@ -659,6 +659,10 @@ bindsym:
 for_window:
     TOK_FOR_WINDOW match command
     {
+        if (match_is_empty(&current_match)) {
+            ELOG("Match is empty, ignoring this for_window statement\n");
+            break;
+        }
         printf("\t should execute command %s for the criteria mentioned above\n", $3);
         Assignment *assignment = scalloc(sizeof(Assignment));
         assignment->type = A_COMMAND;
diff --git a/testcases/t/65-for_window.t b/testcases/t/65-for_window.t
index 2fb85dfa..fb4c2812 100644
--- a/testcases/t/65-for_window.t
+++ b/testcases/t/65-for_window.t
@@ -313,4 +313,41 @@ is($content[0]->{border}, 'none', 'no border');
 
 exit_gracefully($process->pid);
 
+##############################################################
+# 7: check that invalid criteria don’t end up matching all windows
+##############################################################
+
+# this configuration is broken because "asdf" is not a valid integer
+# the for_window should therefore recognize this error and don’t add the
+# assignment
+$config = <<EOT;
+# i3 config file (v4)
+font -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--13-120-75-75-C-70-iso10646-1
+for_window [id="asdf"] border none
+EOT
+
+$process = launch_with_config($config);
+
+$tmp = fresh_workspace;
+
+$window = $x->root->create_child(
+    class => WINDOW_CLASS_INPUT_OUTPUT,
+    rect => [ 0, 0, 30, 30 ],
+    background_color => '#00ff00',
+);
+
+$window->_create;
+
+set_wm_class($window->id, 'bar', 'foo');
+$window->name('usethis');
+$window->map;
+sleep 0.25;
+
+@content = @{get_ws_content($tmp)};
+cmp_ok(@content, '==', 1, 'one node on this workspace now');
+is($content[0]->{border}, 'normal', 'normal border');
+
+exit_gracefully($process->pid);
+
+
 done_testing;