diff --git a/bin/pm2 b/bin/pm2
index 809177b0..50ca7616 100755
--- a/bin/pm2
+++ b/bin/pm2
@@ -603,6 +603,15 @@ commander.command('dump')
     pm2.dump();
   }));
 
+//
+// Delete dump file
+//
+commander.command('cleardump')
+  .description('Create empty dump file')
+  .action(failOnUnknown(function() {
+    pm2.clearDump();
+  }));
+
 //
 // Save processes to file
 //
diff --git a/lib/API/Startup.js b/lib/API/Startup.js
index 5249acc5..f77ca516 100644
--- a/lib/API/Startup.js
+++ b/lib/API/Startup.js
@@ -371,13 +371,32 @@ module.exports = function(CLI) {
        * @return
        */
       function fin(err) {
+
+        // try to fix issues with empty dump file
+        // like #3485
+        if (env_arr.length === 0) {
+
+          // fix : if no dump file, no process, only module and after pm2 update
+          if (!fs.existsSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH)) {
+            that.clearDump(function(){});
+          }
+
+          // if no process in list don't modify dump file
+          // process list should not be empty
+          if(cb) {
+            return cb(null, {success: true});
+          } else  {
+            Common.printOut(cst.PREFIX_MSG + 'Nothing to save !!!');
+            Common.printOut(cst.PREFIX_MSG + 'In this case we keep old dump file. To clear dump file you can delete it manually !');
+            that.exitCli(cst.SUCCESS_EXIT);
+            return;
+          }
+        }
+
         // Back up dump file
         try {
           if (fs.existsSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH)) {
-            if (fs.existsSync(cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH)) {
-              fs.unlinkSync(cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH);
-            }
-            fs.renameSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH, cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH);
+            fs.copyFileSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH, cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH);
           }
         } catch (e) {
           console.error(e.stack || e);
@@ -390,8 +409,13 @@ module.exports = function(CLI) {
         } catch (e) {
           console.error(e.stack || e);
           try {
-            fs.unlinkSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH);
+            // try to backup file
+            if(fs.existsSync(cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH)) {
+              fs.copyFileSync(cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH, cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH);
+            }
           } catch (e) {
+            // don't keep broken file
+            fs.unlinkSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH);
             console.error(e.stack || e);
           }
           Common.printOut(cst.PREFIX_MSG_ERR + 'Failed to save dump file in %s', cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH);
@@ -415,6 +439,21 @@ module.exports = function(CLI) {
     });
   };
 
+  /**
+   * Remove DUMP_FILE_PATH file and DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH file
+   * @method dump
+   * @param {} cb
+   * @return
+   */
+  CLI.prototype.clearDump = function(cb) {
+    fs.writeFileSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH, JSON.stringify([]));
+
+    if(cb && typeof cb === 'function') return cb();
+
+    Common.printOut(cst.PREFIX_MSG + 'Successfully created %s', cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH);
+    return this.exitCli(cst.SUCCESS_EXIT);
+  };
+
   /**
    * Resurrect processes
    * @method resurrect
diff --git a/lib/God/ActionMethods.js b/lib/God/ActionMethods.js
index 65cb6415..1df6b159 100644
--- a/lib/God/ActionMethods.js
+++ b/lib/God/ActionMethods.js
@@ -137,13 +137,25 @@ module.exports = function(God) {
     }
 
     function fin(err) {
+
+      // try to fix issues with empty dump file
+      // like #3485
+      if (process_list.length === 0) {
+
+        // fix : if no dump file, no process, only module and after pm2 update
+        if (!fs.existsSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH)) {
+          that.clearDump(function(){});
+        }
+
+        // if no process in list don't modify dump file
+        // process list should not be empty
+        return cb(null, {success:true, process_list: process_list});
+      }
+
       // Back up dump file
       try {
         if (fs.existsSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH)) {
-          if (fs.existsSync(cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH)) {
-            fs.unlinkSync(cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH);
-          }
-          fs.renameSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH, cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH);
+          fs.copyFileSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH, cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH);
         }
       } catch (e) {
         console.error(e.stack || e);
@@ -155,8 +167,13 @@ module.exports = function(God) {
       } catch (e) {
         console.error(e.stack || e);
         try {
-          fs.unlinkSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH);
+          // try to backup file
+          if(fs.existsSync(cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH)) {
+            fs.copyFileSync(cst.DUMP_BACKUP_FILE_PATH, cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH);
+          }
         } catch (e) {
+          // don't keep broken file
+          fs.unlinkSync(cst.DUMP_FILE_PATH);
           console.error(e.stack || e);
         }
       }
diff --git a/test/programmatic/programmatic.js b/test/programmatic/programmatic.js
index e71f0aec..478e1361 100644
--- a/test/programmatic/programmatic.js
+++ b/test/programmatic/programmatic.js
@@ -18,7 +18,12 @@ describe('PM2 programmatic calls', function() {
   });
 
   after(function(done) {
-    pm2.kill(done);
+    pm2.delete('all', function(err, ret) {
+      // clean dump file
+      pm2.clearDump(function(err) {
+        pm2.kill(done);
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   before(function(done) {