diff --git a/extensions/table.c b/extensions/table.c
index f6d3e7a07..6b50959c5 100644
--- a/extensions/table.c
+++ b/extensions/table.c
@@ -577,6 +577,10 @@ static void html_render(cmark_syntax_extension *extension,
         table_state->in_table_header = 1;
         cmark_strbuf_puts(html, "<thead>");
         cmark_html_render_cr(html);
+      } else if (!table_state->need_closing_table_body) {
+        cmark_strbuf_puts(html, "<tbody>");
+        cmark_html_render_cr(html);
+        table_state->need_closing_table_body = 1;
       }
       cmark_strbuf_puts(html, "<tr");
       cmark_html_render_sourcepos(node, html, options);
@@ -587,9 +591,6 @@ static void html_render(cmark_syntax_extension *extension,
       if (((node_table_row *)node->as.opaque)->is_header) {
         cmark_html_render_cr(html);
         cmark_strbuf_puts(html, "</thead>");
-        cmark_html_render_cr(html);
-        cmark_strbuf_puts(html, "<tbody>");
-        table_state->need_closing_table_body = 1;
         table_state->in_table_header = false;
       }
     }
diff --git a/test/extensions.txt b/test/extensions.txt
index 4340b618f..3c783cf34 100644
--- a/test/extensions.txt
+++ b/test/extensions.txt
@@ -96,23 +96,20 @@ Here we demonstrate some edge cases about what is and isn't a table.
 <th>Just enough table</th>
 <th>to be considered table</th>
 </tr>
-</thead>
-<tbody></tbody></table>
+</thead></table>
 <p>| ---- | --- |</p>
 <table>
 <thead>
 <tr>
 <th>x</th>
 </tr>
-</thead>
-<tbody></tbody></table>
+</thead></table>
 <table>
 <thead>
 <tr>
 <th>xyz</th>
 </tr>
-</thead>
-<tbody></tbody></table>
+</thead></table>
 ````````````````````````````````
 
 A "simpler" table, GFM style:
@@ -297,8 +294,7 @@ This shouldn't assert.
 <tr>
 <th>a</th>
 </tr>
-</thead>
-<tbody></tbody></table>
+</thead></table>
 ````````````````````````````````
 
 ### Escaping
diff --git a/test/spec.txt b/test/spec.txt
index babf3c8c9..670fe58ab 100644
--- a/test/spec.txt
+++ b/test/spec.txt
@@ -3399,6 +3399,21 @@ cells are inserted.  If there are greater, the excess is ignored:
 </tr></tbody></table>
 ````````````````````````````````
 
+If there are no rows in the body, no `<tbody>` is generated in HTML output:
+
+```````````````````````````````` example table
+| abc | def |
+| --- | --- |
+.
+<table>
+<thead>
+<tr>
+<th>abc</th>
+<th>def</th>
+</tr>
+</thead></table>
+````````````````````````````````
+
 </div>
 
 # Container blocks