diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/version_compare-error-on-empty.yml b/changelogs/fragments/version_compare-error-on-empty.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2c26a8e8b22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/version_compare-error-on-empty.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - version test - improve error message when an empty version is provided
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/test/core.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/test/core.py
index e131dc01e10..8609afabbba 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/test/core.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/test/core.py
@@ -168,6 +168,12 @@ def version_compare(value, version, operator='eq', strict=None, version_type=Non
     if strict is not None and version_type is not None:
         raise errors.AnsibleFilterError("Cannot specify both 'strict' and 'version_type'")
 
+    if not value:
+        raise errors.AnsibleFilterError("Input version value cannot be empty")
+
+    if not version:
+        raise errors.AnsibleFilterError("Version parameter to compare against cannot be empty")
+
     Version = LooseVersion
     if strict:
         Version = StrictVersion
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/test_core/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/test_core/tasks/main.yml
index 0ae4da67354..9f753e3cb92 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/test_core/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/test_core/tasks/main.yml
@@ -235,6 +235,24 @@
   ignore_errors: yes
   register: version_bad_semver
 
+- name: Try version with empty input value
+  debug:
+    msg: "{{ '' is version('1.0', '>') }}"
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: version_empty_input
+
+- name: Try version with empty comparison value
+  debug:
+    msg: "{{ '1.0' is version('', '>') }}"
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: version_empty_comparison
+
+- name: Try version with empty input and comparison values
+  debug:
+    msg: "{{ '' is version('', '>') }}"
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: version_empty_both
+
 - name: Assert version tests work
   assert:
     that:
@@ -258,6 +276,12 @@
       - version_strict_version_type is failed
       - version_bad_version_type is failed
       - version_bad_semver is failed
+      - version_empty_input is failed
+      - version_empty_input is search('version value cannot be empty')
+      - version_empty_comparison is failed
+      - version_empty_comparison is search('to compare against cannot be empty')
+      - version_empty_both is failed
+      - version_empty_both is search('version value cannot be empty')
 
 - name: Assert any tests work
   assert:
@@ -288,7 +312,7 @@
       - '"off" is not truthy(convert_bool=True)'
       - '"fred" is truthy(convert_bool=True)'
       - '{} is not truthy'
-      - '{"key": "value"} is truthy'      
+      - '{"key": "value"} is truthy'
 
 - name: Assert falsy tests work
   assert: