diff --git a/design/mvp/Binary.md b/design/mvp/Binary.md
index fe838ea4..071302d7 100644
--- a/design/mvp/Binary.md
+++ b/design/mvp/Binary.md
@@ -196,11 +196,11 @@ primvaltype   ::= 0x7f                                    => bool
                 | 0x74                                    => char
                 | 0x73                                    => string
 defvaltype    ::= pvt:<primvaltype>                       => pvt
-                | 0x72 lt*:vec(<labelvaltype>)            => (record (field lt)*)
+                | 0x72 lt*:vec(<labelvaltype>)            => (record (field lt)*)    (if |lt*| > 0)
                 | 0x71 case*:vec(<case>)                  => (variant case*)
                 | 0x70 t:<valtype>                        => (list t)
-                | 0x6f t*:vec(<valtype>)                  => (tuple t*)
-                | 0x6e l*:vec(<label>)                    => (flags l*)
+                | 0x6f t*:vec(<valtype>)                  => (tuple t+)    (if |t*| > 0)
+                | 0x6e l*:vec(<label>)                    => (flags l+)    (if |l*| > 0)
                 | 0x6d l*:vec(<label>)                    => (enum l*)
                 | 0x6c t*:vec(<valtype>)                  => (union t*)
                 | 0x6b t:<valtype>                        => (option t)
diff --git a/design/mvp/CanonicalABI.md b/design/mvp/CanonicalABI.md
index c5d8e0c5..68b0ef51 100644
--- a/design/mvp/CanonicalABI.md
+++ b/design/mvp/CanonicalABI.md
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ below.
 ### Size
 
 Each value type is also assigned a `size`, measured in bytes, which corresponds
-the `sizeof` operator in C:
+the `sizeof` operator in C. Empty types, such as records with no fields, are
+not permitted, to avoid complications in source languages.
 ```python
 def size(t):
   match despecialize(t):
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ def size_record(fields):
   for f in fields:
     s = align_to(s, alignment(f.t))
     s += size(f.t)
+  assert(s > 0)
   return align_to(s, alignment_record(fields))
 
 def align_to(ptr, alignment):
@@ -201,7 +203,7 @@ def size_variant(cases):
 
 def size_flags(labels):
   n = len(labels)
-  if n == 0: return 0
+  assert(n > 0)
   if n <= 8: return 1
   if n <= 16: return 2
   return 4 * num_i32_flags(labels)
diff --git a/design/mvp/Explainer.md b/design/mvp/Explainer.md
index cbd8aff1..9d59ee80 100644
--- a/design/mvp/Explainer.md
+++ b/design/mvp/Explainer.md
@@ -487,11 +487,11 @@ defvaltype    ::= bool
                 | s8 | u8 | s16 | u16 | s32 | u32 | s64 | u64
                 | float32 | float64
                 | char | string
-                | (record (field <label> <valtype>)*)
+                | (record (field <label> <valtype>)+)
                 | (variant (case <id>? <label> <valtype>? (refines <id>)?)+)
                 | (list <valtype>)
-                | (tuple <valtype>*)
-                | (flags <label>*)
+                | (tuple <valtype>+)
+                | (flags <label>+)
                 | (enum <label>+)
                 | (union <valtype>+)
                 | (option <valtype>)
diff --git a/design/mvp/canonical-abi/definitions.py b/design/mvp/canonical-abi/definitions.py
index dcdd37c9..50e0a6fe 100644
--- a/design/mvp/canonical-abi/definitions.py
+++ b/design/mvp/canonical-abi/definitions.py
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ def size_record(fields):
   for f in fields:
     s = align_to(s, alignment(f.t))
     s += size(f.t)
+  assert(s > 0)
   return align_to(s, alignment_record(fields))
 
 def align_to(ptr, alignment):
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ def size_variant(cases):
 
 def size_flags(labels):
   n = len(labels)
-  if n == 0: return 0
+  assert(n > 0)
   if n <= 8: return 1
   if n <= 16: return 2
   return 4 * num_i32_flags(labels)
diff --git a/design/mvp/canonical-abi/run_tests.py b/design/mvp/canonical-abi/run_tests.py
index 4539a2e5..5cd7485a 100644
--- a/design/mvp/canonical-abi/run_tests.py
+++ b/design/mvp/canonical-abi/run_tests.py
@@ -96,11 +96,13 @@ def test_name():
   if not equal_modulo_string_encoding(got, lower_v):
     fail("{} re-lift expected {} but got {}".format(test_name(), lower_v, got))
 
-test(Record([]), [], {})
+# Empty record types are not permitted yet.
+#test(Record([]), [], {})
 test(Record([Field('x',U8()), Field('y',U16()), Field('z',U32())]), [1,2,3], {'x':1,'y':2,'z':3})
 test(Tuple([Tuple([U8(),U8()]),U8()]), [1,2,3], {'0':{'0':1,'1':2},'1':3})
-t = Flags([])
-test(t, [], {})
+# Empty flags types are not permitted yet.
+#t = Flags([])
+#test(t, [], {})
 t = Flags(['a','b'])
 test(t, [0], {'a':False,'b':False})
 test(t, [2], {'a':False,'b':True})
@@ -242,7 +244,8 @@ def test_heap(t, expect, args, byte_array):
   cx = mk_cx(heap.memory)
   test(t, args, expect, cx)
 
-test_heap(List(Record([])), [{},{},{}], [0,3], [])
+# Empty record types are not permitted yet.
+#test_heap(List(Record([])), [{},{},{}], [0,3], [])
 test_heap(List(Bool()), [True,False,True], [0,3], [1,0,1])
 test_heap(List(Bool()), [True,False,True], [0,3], [1,0,2])
 test_heap(List(Bool()), [True,False,True], [3,3], [0xff,0xff,0xff, 1,0,1])
@@ -276,8 +279,9 @@ def test_heap(t, expect, args, byte_array):
           [6,0, 7, 0x0ff, 8,0, 9, 0xff])
 test_heap(List(Tuple([Tuple([U16(),U8()]),U8()])), [mk_tup([4,5],6),mk_tup([7,8],9)], [0,2],
           [4,0, 5,0xff, 6,0xff,  7,0, 8,0xff, 9,0xff])
-test_heap(List(Union([Record([]),U8(),Tuple([U8(),U16()])])), [{'0':{}}, {'1':42}, {'2':mk_tup(6,7)}], [0,3],
-          [0,0xff,0xff,0xff,0xff,0xff,  1,0xff,42,0xff,0xff,0xff,  2,0xff,6,0xff,7,0])
+# Empty record types are not permitted yet.
+#test_heap(List(Union([Record([]),U8(),Tuple([U8(),U16()])])), [{'0':{}}, {'1':42}, {'2':mk_tup(6,7)}], [0,3],
+#          [0,0xff,0xff,0xff,0xff,0xff,  1,0xff,42,0xff,0xff,0xff,  2,0xff,6,0xff,7,0])
 test_heap(List(Union([U32(),U8()])), [{'0':256}, {'1':42}], [0,2],
           [0,0xff,0xff,0xff,0,1,0,0,  1,0xff,0xff,0xff,42,0xff,0xff,0xff])
 test_heap(List(Tuple([Union([U8(),Tuple([U16(),U8()])]),U8()])),
@@ -285,12 +289,13 @@ def test_heap(t, expect, args, byte_array):
           [1,0xff,5,0,6,0xff,7,0xff,  0,0xff,8,0xff,0xff,0xff,9,0xff])
 test_heap(List(Union([U8()])), [{'0':6},{'0':7},{'0':8}], [0,3],
           [0,6, 0,7, 0,8])
-t = List(Flags([]))
-test_heap(t, [{},{},{}], [0,3],
-          [])
-t = List(Tuple([Flags([]), U8()]))
-test_heap(t, [mk_tup({}, 42), mk_tup({}, 43), mk_tup({}, 44)], [0,3],
-          [42,43,44])
+# Empty flags types are not permitted yet.
+#t = List(Flags([]))
+#test_heap(t, [{},{},{}], [0,3],
+#          [])
+#t = List(Tuple([Flags([]), U8()]))
+#test_heap(t, [mk_tup({}, 42), mk_tup({}, 43), mk_tup({}, 44)], [0,3],
+#          [42,43,44])
 t = List(Flags(['a','b']))
 test_heap(t, [{'a':False,'b':False},{'a':False,'b':True},{'a':True,'b':True}], [0,3],
           [0,2,3])