diff --git a/datascience/tables.py b/datascience/tables.py
index bd93b6dec..58a3abb22 100644
--- a/datascience/tables.py
+++ b/datascience/tables.py
@@ -2036,11 +2036,6 @@ def join(self, column_label, other, other_label=None):
 
     def _join(self, column_label, other, other_label=[]):
         """joins when COLUMN_LABEL is a string"""
-        if self.num_rows == 0 or other.num_rows == 0:
-            return None
-        if not other_label:
-            other_label = column_label
-
         self_rows = self.index_by(column_label)
         other_rows = other.index_by(other_label)
         return self._join_helper([column_label], self_rows, other, [other_label], other_rows)
diff --git a/tests/test_tables.py b/tests/test_tables.py
index b68f8f404..2354f27d6 100644
--- a/tests/test_tables.py
+++ b/tests/test_tables.py
@@ -1659,8 +1659,8 @@ def test_join_without_other_label(table, table2):
     2      | b      | 3     | two
     2      | c      | 3     | two
     """)
-
-
+    
+    
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 # Export/Display #
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