diff --git a/assert/assertions.go b/assert/assertions.go
index 3a80032..3f1f6f7 100644
--- a/assert/assertions.go
+++ b/assert/assertions.go
@@ -736,10 +736,7 @@ func NotSubset(t TestingT, list, subset interface{}, msgAndArgs ...interface{})
 //
 // Returns whether the assertion was successful (true) or not (false).
 func ElementsMatch(t TestingT, listA, listB interface{}, msgAndArgs ...interface{}) (ok bool) {
-	if listA == nil || listB == nil {
-		if listA != listB {
-			return Fail(t, fmt.Sprintf("only one value is nil"), msgAndArgs...)
-		}
+	if isEmpty(listA) && isEmpty(listB) {
 		return true
 	}
 
diff --git a/assert/assertions_test.go b/assert/assertions_test.go
index ca56a57..8c64edf 100644
--- a/assert/assertions_test.go
+++ b/assert/assertions_test.go
@@ -648,10 +648,10 @@ func TestElementsMatch(t *testing.T) {
 	if !ElementsMatch(mockT, [3]string{"hello", "hello", "world"}, [3]string{"hello", "world", "hello"}) {
 		t.Error("ElementsMatch should return true")
 	}
-
-	if ElementsMatch(mockT, []int{}, nil) {
-		t.Error("ElementsMatch should return false")
+	if !ElementsMatch(mockT, []int{}, nil) {
+		t.Error("ElementsMatch should return true")
 	}
+
 	if ElementsMatch(mockT, []int{1}, []int{1, 1}) {
 		t.Error("ElementsMatch should return false")
 	}