diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/RequireCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/RequireCommand.php
index 415de9fe7..cf7c95664 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/RequireCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/RequireCommand.php
@@ -226,6 +226,9 @@ EOT
             foreach ($requirements as $package => $version) {
                 $composerDefinition[$requireKey][$package] = $version;
                 unset($composerDefinition[$removeKey][$package]);
+                if (isset($composerDefinition[$removeKey]) && count($composerDefinition[$removeKey]) === 0) {
+                    unset($composerDefinition[$removeKey]);
+                }
             }
             $this->json->write($composerDefinition);
         }
@@ -341,6 +344,8 @@ EOT
             }
         }
 
+        $manipulator->removeMainKeyIfEmpty($removeKey);
+
         file_put_contents($json->getPath(), $manipulator->getContents());
 
         return true;
diff --git a/src/Composer/Config/JsonConfigSource.php b/src/Composer/Config/JsonConfigSource.php
index 36b0bc972..5c0c04a06 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Config/JsonConfigSource.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Config/JsonConfigSource.php
@@ -196,7 +196,8 @@ class JsonConfigSource implements ConfigSourceInterface
     {
         $this->manipulateJson('removeSubNode', $type, $name, function (&$config, $type, $name) {
             unset($config[$type][$name]);
-
+        });
+        $this->manipulateJson('removeMainKeyIfEmpty', $type, function (&$config, $type) {
             if (0 === count($config[$type])) {
                 unset($config[$type]);
             }
diff --git a/src/Composer/Json/JsonManipulator.php b/src/Composer/Json/JsonManipulator.php
index b2b1be872..249116cfb 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Json/JsonManipulator.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Json/JsonManipulator.php
@@ -480,6 +480,21 @@ class JsonManipulator
         return false;
     }
 
+    public function removeMainKeyIfEmpty($key)
+    {
+        $decoded = JsonFile::parseJson($this->contents);
+
+        if (!array_key_exists($key, $decoded)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        if (is_array($decoded[$key]) && count($decoded[$key]) === 0) {
+            return $this->removeMainKey($key);
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
     public function format($data, $depth = 0)
     {
         if (is_array($data)) {
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/conflict-to-empty-after.json b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/conflict-to-empty-after.json
index 81fc11503..ba03df2ff 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/conflict-to-empty-after.json
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/conflict-to-empty-after.json
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 {
     "name": "my-vend/my-app",
-    "license": "MIT",
-    "conflict": {
-    }
+    "license": "MIT"
 }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/provide-to-empty-after.json b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/provide-to-empty-after.json
index 99b4224b1..ba03df2ff 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/provide-to-empty-after.json
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/provide-to-empty-after.json
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 {
     "name": "my-vend/my-app",
-    "license": "MIT",
-    "provide": {
-    }
+    "license": "MIT"
 }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/replace-to-empty-after.json b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/replace-to-empty-after.json
index 6430a49fc..ba03df2ff 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/replace-to-empty-after.json
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/replace-to-empty-after.json
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 {
     "name": "my-vend/my-app",
-    "license": "MIT",
-    "replace": {
-    }
+    "license": "MIT"
 }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/require-dev-to-empty-after.json b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/require-dev-to-empty-after.json
index 4058e5a20..ba03df2ff 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/require-dev-to-empty-after.json
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/require-dev-to-empty-after.json
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 {
     "name": "my-vend/my-app",
-    "license": "MIT",
-    "require-dev": {
-    }
+    "license": "MIT"
 }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/require-to-empty-after.json b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/require-to-empty-after.json
index 4f244ff96..ba03df2ff 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/require-to-empty-after.json
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/require-to-empty-after.json
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 {
     "name": "my-vend/my-app",
-    "license": "MIT",
-    "require": {
-    }
+    "license": "MIT"
 }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/suggest-to-empty-after.json b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/suggest-to-empty-after.json
index 21d79e2f4..ba03df2ff 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/suggest-to-empty-after.json
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Config/Fixtures/removeLink/suggest-to-empty-after.json
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 {
     "name": "my-vend/my-app",
-    "license": "MIT",
-    "suggest": {
-    }
+    "license": "MIT"
 }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Json/JsonManipulatorTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/Json/JsonManipulatorTest.php
index 118eb91c7..74243ca71 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Json/JsonManipulatorTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Json/JsonManipulatorTest.php
@@ -2437,6 +2437,48 @@ class JsonManipulatorTest extends TestCase
 ', $manipulator->getContents());
     }
 
+    public function testRemoveMainKeyIfEmpty()
+    {
+        $manipulator = new JsonManipulator('{
+    "repositories": [
+    ],
+    "require": {
+        "package/a": "*",
+        "package/b": "*",
+        "package/c": "*"
+    },
+    "foo": "bar",
+    "require-dev": {
+    }
+}');
+
+        $this->assertTrue($manipulator->removeMainKeyIfEmpty('repositories'));
+        $this->assertEquals('{
+    "require": {
+        "package/a": "*",
+        "package/b": "*",
+        "package/c": "*"
+    },
+    "foo": "bar",
+    "require-dev": {
+    }
+}
+', $manipulator->getContents());
+
+        $this->assertFalse($manipulator->removeMainKeyIfEmpty('foo'));
+        $this->assertFalse($manipulator->removeMainKeyIfEmpty('require'));
+        $this->assertTrue($manipulator->removeMainKeyIfEmpty('require-dev'));
+        $this->assertEquals('{
+    "require": {
+        "package/a": "*",
+        "package/b": "*",
+        "package/c": "*"
+    },
+    "foo": "bar"
+}
+', $manipulator->getContents());
+    }
+
     public function testRemoveMainKeyRemovesKeyWhereValueIsNull()
     {
         $manipulator = new JsonManipulator(json_encode(array(