diff --git a/xmlregexp.c b/xmlregexp.c
index 9e9c3752a10b4866d20b42baf3dfdc627c7b7180..bf04ae10f26a89fe92d20f1d0777d5479f165ad0 100644
--- a/xmlregexp.c
+++ b/xmlregexp.c
@@ -5395,10 +5395,6 @@ xmlFAParseRegExp(xmlRegParserCtxtPtr ctxt, int top) {
     end = ctxt->state;
     while ((CUR == '|') && (ctxt->error == 0)) {
 	NEXT;
-	if (CUR == 0) {
-	    ERROR("expecting a branch after |")
-	    return;
-	}
 	ctxt->state = start;
 	ctxt->end = NULL;
 	xmlFAParseBranch(ctxt, end);