diff --git a/docs/releases.rst b/docs/releases.rst
index 741ff72894..1d3ee3002e 100644
--- a/docs/releases.rst
+++ b/docs/releases.rst
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ The :ref:`/plugins/provision/beaker` provision plugin gains
 support for :ref:`system.model-name</spec/hardware/system>` and
 :ref:`system.vendor-name</spec/hardware/system>` hardware requirements.
 
+The ``tmt lint`` command now reports a failure if empty
+environment files are found.
+
 
 tmt-1.38.0
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/tests/lint/plan/data/empty_env b/tests/lint/plan/data/empty_env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/tests/lint/plan/data/empty_env_file.fmf b/tests/lint/plan/data/empty_env_file.fmf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1dde6b5d9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lint/plan/data/empty_env_file.fmf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+summary: Empty environment file plan
+environment-file:
+  - empty_env
+execute:
+    script: tmt --help
diff --git a/tests/lint/plan/data/env b/tests/lint/plan/data/env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..38fac2f997
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lint/plan/data/env
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test=test
diff --git a/tests/lint/plan/data/good.fmf b/tests/lint/plan/data/good.fmf
index c7cb77f0d9..c161e9a6b2 100644
--- a/tests/lint/plan/data/good.fmf
+++ b/tests/lint/plan/data/good.fmf
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ summary: Basic smoke test
 execute:
     script: tmt --help
 id: 9c73e336-983e-4349-9586-b63c20ea2b89
+environment-file:
+    - env
diff --git a/tests/lint/plan/test.sh b/tests/lint/plan/test.sh
index 5ac4191fe1..40edd9537a 100755
--- a/tests/lint/plan/test.sh
+++ b/tests/lint/plan/test.sh
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ rlJournalStart
 
         rlRun -s "$tmt plan lint invalid_url" 1
         rlAssertGrep "fail P005 remote fmf id in \"default-0\" is invalid, repo 'http://invalid-url' cannot be cloned" $rlRun_LOG
+        rlAssertGrep "skip P008 no environment files found" $rlRun_LOG
 
         rlRun -s "$tmt plan lint invalid_ref" 1
         rlAssertGrep "fail P005 remote fmf id in \"default-0\" is invalid, git ref 'invalid-ref-123456' is invalid" $rlRun_LOG
@@ -71,6 +72,9 @@ rlJournalStart
         rlRun -s "$tmt plan lint invalid-plugin-key" 0
         rlAssertGrep 'warn C000 key "wrong" not recognized by schema$' $rlRun_LOG
         rlAssertGrep 'warn C000 key "wrong" not recognized by schema /schemas/prepare/feature' $rlRun_LOG
+
+        rlRun -s "$tmt plan lint empty_env_file" 1
+        rlAssertGrep "fail P008 the environment file '.*/tests/lint/plan/data/empty_env' is empty" $rlRun_LOG
     rlPhaseEnd
 
     rlPhaseStartTest "P007: step phases require existing guests and roles"
diff --git a/tmt/base.py b/tmt/base.py
index 1b33a7d914..d347d42364 100644
--- a/tmt/base.py
+++ b/tmt/base.py
@@ -2347,6 +2347,23 @@ def _lint_step(step: str) -> LinterReturn:
         yield from _lint_step('execute')
         yield from _lint_step('finish')
 
+    def lint_empty_env_files(self) -> LinterReturn:
+        """ P008: environment files are not empty """
+
+        env_files = self.node.get("environment-file") or []
+
+        if not env_files:
+            yield LinterOutcome.SKIP, 'no environment files found'
+            return
+
+        for env_file in env_files:
+            env_file = (self.anchor_path / Path(env_file)).resolve()
+            if not env_file.stat().st_size:
+                yield LinterOutcome.FAIL, f"the environment file '{env_file}' is empty"
+                return
+
+        yield LinterOutcome.PASS, 'no empty environment files'
+
     def wake(self) -> None:
         """ Wake up all steps """