diff --git a/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py b/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
index 8a9d8a4ff64..fded2491d55 100644
--- a/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
+++ b/Lib/lib-tk/Tkinter.py
@@ -3032,7 +3032,8 @@ class Text(Widget):
            forwards=None, backwards=None, exact=None,
            regexp=None, nocase=None, count=None, elide=None):
         """Search PATTERN beginning from INDEX until STOPINDEX.
-        Return the index of the first character of a match or an empty string."""
+        Return the index of the first character of a match or an
+        empty string."""
         args = [self._w, 'search']
         if forwards: args.append('-forwards')
         if backwards: args.append('-backwards')
@@ -3041,7 +3042,7 @@ class Text(Widget):
         if nocase: args.append('-nocase')
         if elide: args.append('-elide')
         if count: args.append('-count'); args.append(count)
-        if pattern[0] == '-': args.append('--')
+        if pattern and pattern[0] == '-': args.append('--')
         args.append(pattern)
         args.append(index)
         if stopindex: args.append(stopindex)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index edd22affe4c..23ea460bc11 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #4890: Handle empty text search pattern in Tkinter.Text.search.
+
 - Issue #5170: Fixed Unicode output bug in logging and added test case.
   This is a regression which did not occur in 2.5.