diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -1821,6 +1821,8 @@ def _logrevs(repo, opts):
     follow = opts.get('follow') or opts.get('follow_first')
     if opts.get('rev'):
         revs = scmutil.revrange(repo, opts['rev'])
+    elif follow and repo.dirstate.p1() == nullid:
+        revs = revset.baseset()
     elif follow:
         revs = repo.revs('reverse(:.)')
     else:
diff --git a/tests/test-glog.t b/tests/test-glog.t
--- a/tests/test-glog.t
+++ b/tests/test-glog.t
@@ -1767,6 +1767,13 @@ Test --follow and multiple files
   nodetag 1
   nodetag 0
 
+Test --follow null parent
+
+  $ hg up -q null
+  $ testlog -f
+  []
+  []
+
 Test --follow-first
 
   $ hg up -q 3
diff --git a/tests/test-grep.t b/tests/test-grep.t
--- a/tests/test-grep.t
+++ b/tests/test-grep.t
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ follow
   port:1:2:+:eggs:export
   port:0:1:+:spam:import
 
+  $ hg up -q null
+  $ hg grep -f port
+  [1]
+
   $ cd ..
   $ hg init t2
   $ cd t2
diff --git a/tests/test-log.t b/tests/test-log.t
--- a/tests/test-log.t
+++ b/tests/test-log.t
@@ -672,10 +672,17 @@ log -f -r null
   
 
 
+log -f with null parent
+
+  $ hg up -C null
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 2 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  $ hg log -f
+
+
 log -r .  with two parents
 
   $ hg up -C 3
-  2 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ hg merge tip
   1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   (branch merge, don't forget to commit)