diff --git a/Lib/platform.py b/Lib/platform.py
index 985e12d9684..d567dd1a6e1 100755
--- a/Lib/platform.py
+++ b/Lib/platform.py
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def libc_ver(executable=None, lib='', version='', chunksize=16384):
         The file is read and scanned in chunks of chunksize bytes.
 
     """
-    if executable is None:
+    if not executable:
         try:
             ver = os.confstr('CS_GNU_LIBC_VERSION')
             # parse 'glibc 2.28' as ('glibc', '2.28')
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-12-31-23-05-53.bpo-42257.ALQy7B.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-12-31-23-05-53.bpo-42257.ALQy7B.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9a026d5cdda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-12-31-23-05-53.bpo-42257.ALQy7B.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Handle empty string in variable executable in platform.libc_ver()