diff --git a/include/boost/regex/v4/cpp_regex_traits.hpp b/include/boost/regex/v4/cpp_regex_traits.hpp
index 72ea2b21..106ffcbf 100644
--- a/include/boost/regex/v4/cpp_regex_traits.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/regex/v4/cpp_regex_traits.hpp
@@ -508,12 +508,18 @@ typename cpp_regex_traits_implementation<charT>::string_type
    // we adhere to gcc's (buggy) preconditions...
    //
    BOOST_ASSERT(*p2 == 0);
-   if(p1 == p2)
-   {
-      return string_type(p1, p2);
-   }
-
    string_type result;
+#if defined(_CPPLIB_VER)
+   //
+   // A bug in VC11 and 12 causes the program to hang if we pass a null-string
+   // to std::collate::transform, but only for certain locales :-(
+   // Probably effects Intel and Clang or any compiler using the VC std library (Dinkumware).
+   //
+   if(*p1 == 0)
+   {
+      return string_type(1, charT(0));
+   }
+#endif
    //
    // swallowing all exceptions here is a bad idea
    // however at least one std lib will always throw
@@ -588,11 +594,17 @@ typename cpp_regex_traits_implementation<charT>::string_type
    // std::bad_alloc for certain arguments...
    //
    string_type result, result2;
-   if(p1 == p2)
+#if defined(_CPPLIB_VER)
+   //
+   // A bug in VC11 and 12 causes the program to hang if we pass a null-string
+   // to std::collate::transform, but only for certain locales :-(
+   // Probably effects Intel and Clang or any compiler using the VC std library (Dinkumware).
+   //
+   if(*p1 == 0)
    {
-      result.assign(p1, p2);
       return result;
    }
+#endif
 #ifndef BOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS
    try{
 #endif
diff --git a/src/c_regex_traits.cpp b/src/c_regex_traits.cpp
index 67010201..23ec3247 100644
--- a/src/c_regex_traits.cpp
+++ b/src/c_regex_traits.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,19 @@ c_regex_traits<char>::string_type BOOST_REGEX_CALL c_regex_traits<char>::transfo
    std::string src(p1, p2);
    while(s < (r = std::strxfrm(&*result.begin(), src.c_str(), s)))
    {
+#if defined(_CPPLIB_VER)
+      //
+      // A bug in VC11 and 12 causes the program to hang if we pass a null-string
+      // to std::strxfrm, but only for certain locales :-(
+      // Probably effects Intel and Clang or any compiler using the VC std library (Dinkumware).
+      //
+      if(r == INT_MAX)
+      {
+         result.erase();
+         result.insert(result.begin(), static_cast<char>(0));
+         return result;
+      }
+#endif
       result.append(r - s + 3, ' ');
       s = result.size();
    }
diff --git a/src/wc_regex_traits.cpp b/src/wc_regex_traits.cpp
index b3d2c5a2..7815a09b 100644
--- a/src/wc_regex_traits.cpp
+++ b/src/wc_regex_traits.cpp
@@ -94,6 +94,19 @@ c_regex_traits<wchar_t>::string_type BOOST_REGEX_CALL c_regex_traits<wchar_t>::t
    std::wstring result(s, L' ');
    while(s < (r = std::wcsxfrm(&*result.begin(), src.c_str(), s)))
    {
+#if defined(_CPPLIB_VER)
+      //
+      // A bug in VC11 and 12 causes the program to hang if we pass a null-string
+      // to std::strxfrm, but only for certain locales :-(
+      // Probably effects Intel and Clang or any compiler using the VC std library (Dinkumware).
+      //
+      if(r == INT_MAX)
+      {
+         result.erase();
+         result.insert(result.begin(), static_cast<wchar_t>(0));
+         return result;
+      }
+#endif
       result.append(r - s + 3, L' ');
       s = result.size();
    }