diff --git a/src/fallbacks.jl b/src/fallbacks.jl
index 5256c56..48c2ab1 100644
--- a/src/fallbacks.jl
+++ b/src/fallbacks.jl
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ end
             WT = wrappedtype(eltype(rowitr))
             if WT <: Tuple
                 return allocatecolumns(Schema((Symbol("Column$i") for i = 1:fieldcount(WT)), _fieldtypes(WT)), 0)
-            elseif fieldcount(WT) > 0
+            elseif isconcretetype(WT) && fieldcount(WT) > 0
                 return allocatecolumns(Schema(fieldnames(WT), _fieldtypes(WT)), 0)
             end
         end
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index adfcac1..d57c6f0 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -169,6 +169,9 @@ end
     @test eltype(rt).parameters[1] == nms
     @test Tables.columntable(rt) == nt
     @test Tables.buildcolumns(nothing, rt) == nt
+
+    # 228
+    @test Tables.columntable(NamedTuple[]) === NamedTuple()
 end
 
 @testset "Materializer" begin