diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/name.js b/lib/jsdoc/name.js
index a5a8a29e..9de1b3d8 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/name.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/name.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 var _ = require('underscore');
 var escape = require('escape-string-regexp');
 
+var hasOwnProp = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
+
 /**
  * Longnames that have a special meaning in JSDoc.
  *
@@ -315,20 +317,32 @@ exports.longnamesToTree = function longnamesToTree(longnames, doclets) {
     var tree = {};
 
     longnames.forEach(function(longname) {
-        var processed = splitLongname(longname, splitOptions);
-        var nameInfo = processed.nameInfo;
         var chunk;
         var currentLongname = '';
         var currentNavItem = tree;
+        var nameInfo;
+        var processed;
+
+        // don't try to add empty longnames to the tree
+        if (!longname) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        processed = splitLongname(longname, splitOptions);
+        nameInfo = processed.nameInfo;
 
         processed.chunks.forEach(function(chunk) {
             currentLongname += chunk;
 
-            currentNavItem[chunk] = currentNavItem[chunk] || nameInfo[currentLongname];
-            currentNavItem[chunk].doclet = doclets ? doclets[currentLongname] : null;
-            currentNavItem[chunk].children = currentNavItem[chunk].children || {};
+            if (!hasOwnProp.call(currentNavItem, chunk)) {
+                currentNavItem[chunk] = nameInfo[currentLongname];
+            }
 
-            currentNavItem = currentNavItem[chunk].children;
+            if (currentNavItem[chunk]) {
+                currentNavItem[chunk].doclet = doclets ? doclets[currentLongname] : null;
+                currentNavItem[chunk].children = currentNavItem[chunk].children || {};
+                currentNavItem = currentNavItem[chunk].children;
+            }
         });
     });