diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py
index 6ae2e58c17..02f3ab61ae 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/youtube.py
@@ -1264,7 +1264,23 @@ class YoutubeIE(YoutubeBaseInfoExtractor):
             'params': {
                 'skip_download': True,
             },
-        }
+        },
+        {
+            # empty description results in an empty string
+            'url': 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x41yOUIvK2k',
+            'info_dict': {
+                'id': 'x41yOUIvK2k',
+                'ext': 'mp4',
+                'title': 'IMG 3456',
+                'description': '',
+                'upload_date': '20170613',
+                'uploader_id': 'ElevageOrVert',
+                'uploader': 'ElevageOrVert',
+            },
+            'params': {
+                'skip_download': True,
+            },
+        },
     ]
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -1931,7 +1947,9 @@ def replace_url(m):
             ''', replace_url, video_description)
             video_description = clean_html(video_description)
         else:
-            video_description = video_details.get('shortDescription') or self._html_search_meta('description', video_webpage)
+            video_description = video_details.get('shortDescription')
+            if video_description is None:
+                video_description = self._html_search_meta('description', video_webpage)
 
         if not smuggled_data.get('force_singlefeed', False):
             if not self._downloader.params.get('noplaylist'):