diff --git a/src/ol/vectorimagetile.js b/src/ol/vectorimagetile.js
index 795281ff40..5938191d6a 100644
--- a/src/ol/vectorimagetile.js
+++ b/src/ol/vectorimagetile.js
@@ -105,10 +105,11 @@ ol.VectorImageTile = function(tileCoord, state, src, format, tileLoadFunction,
         var sourceTileKey = sourceTileCoord.toString();
         var sourceTile = sourceTiles[sourceTileKey];
         if (!sourceTile) {
-          var tileUrl = /** @type {string} */
-              (tileUrlFunction(sourceTileCoord, pixelRatio, projection));
-          sourceTile = sourceTiles[sourceTileKey] = new tileClass(
-              sourceTileCoord, ol.TileState.IDLE, tileUrl, format, tileLoadFunction);
+          var tileUrl = tileUrlFunction(sourceTileCoord, pixelRatio, projection);
+          sourceTile = sourceTiles[sourceTileKey] = new tileClass(sourceTileCoord,
+              tileUrl == undefined ? ol.TileState.EMPTY : ol.TileState.IDLE,
+              tileUrl == undefined ? '' : tileUrl,
+              format, tileLoadFunction);
         }
         sourceTile.consumers++;
         this.usedSourceTileKeys_.push(sourceTileKey);
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@ ol.VectorImageTile.prototype.getSourceTiles = function() {
  */
 ol.VectorImageTile.prototype.load = function() {
   var leftToLoad = 0;
+  var errors = false;
   if (this.state == ol.TileState.IDLE) {
     this.setState(ol.TileState.LOADING);
   }
@@ -228,18 +230,26 @@ ol.VectorImageTile.prototype.load = function() {
       if (sourceTile.state == ol.TileState.IDLE) {
         sourceTile.setLoader(this.loader_);
         sourceTile.load();
+      } else if (sourceTile.state == ol.TileState.ERROR) {
+        errors = true;
+      } else if (sourceTile.state == ol.TileState.EMPTY) {
+        ol.array.remove(this.usedSourceTileKeys_, sourceTileKey);
       }
       if (sourceTile.state == ol.TileState.LOADING) {
         var key = ol.events.listen(sourceTile, ol.events.EventType.CHANGE, function(e) {
           var state = sourceTile.getState();
           if (state == ol.TileState.LOADED ||
-              state == ol.TileState.ERROR ||
-              state == ol.TileState.EMPTY) {
+              state == ol.TileState.ERROR) {
             --leftToLoad;
             ol.events.unlistenByKey(key);
             ol.array.remove(this.loadListenerKeys_, key);
+            if (state == ol.TileState.ERROR) {
+              ol.array.remove(this.usedSourceTileKeys_, sourceTileKey);
+              errors = true;
+            }
             if (leftToLoad == 0) {
-              this.setState(ol.TileState.LOADED);
+              this.setState(this.usedSourceTileKeys_.length > 0 ?
+                  ol.TileState.LOADED : ol.TileState.ERROR);
             }
           }
         }.bind(this));
@@ -250,7 +260,9 @@ ol.VectorImageTile.prototype.load = function() {
   }
   if (leftToLoad == 0) {
     setTimeout(function() {
-      this.setState(ol.TileState.LOADED);
+      this.setState(this.usedSourceTileKeys_.length > 0 ?
+          ol.TileState.LOADED :
+          (errors ? ol.TileState.ERROR : ol.TileState.EMPTY));
     }.bind(this), 0);
   }
 };
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/vectorimagetile.test.js b/test/spec/ol/vectorimagetile.test.js
index 8a3d6d25bb..03b7029683 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/vectorimagetile.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/vectorimagetile.test.js
@@ -9,20 +9,7 @@ goog.require('ol.proj');
 
 describe('ol.VectorImageTile', function() {
 
-  it('sets the loader function on source tiles', function() {
-    var format = new ol.format.GeoJSON();
-    var url = 'spec/ol/data/point.json';
-    var tile = new ol.VectorImageTile([0, 0, 0], 0, url, format,
-        ol.VectorImageTile.defaultLoadFunction,
-        [0, 0, 0], function() {}, ol.tilegrid.createXYZ(), ol.tilegrid.createXYZ(), {},
-        1, ol.proj.get('EPSG:3857'), ol.VectorTile);
-
-    tile.load();
-    var loader = tile.getSourceTiles()[0].loader_;
-    expect(typeof loader).to.be('function');
-  });
-
-  it('loader sets features on the source tile', function(done) {
+  it('configures loader that sets features on the source tile', function(done) {
     var format = new ol.format.GeoJSON();
     var url = 'spec/ol/data/point.json';
     var tile = new ol.VectorImageTile([0, 0, 0], 0, url, format,
@@ -33,6 +20,8 @@ describe('ol.VectorImageTile', function() {
 
     tile.load();
     var sourceTile = tile.getSourceTiles()[0];
+    var loader = sourceTile.loader_;
+    expect(typeof loader).to.be('function');
 
     ol.events.listen(sourceTile, 'change', function(e) {
       expect(sourceTile.getFeatures().length).to.be.greaterThan(0);
@@ -40,4 +29,37 @@ describe('ol.VectorImageTile', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  it('sets ERROR state when source tiles fail to load', function(done) {
+    var format = new ol.format.GeoJSON();
+    var url = 'spec/ol/data/unavailable.json';
+    var tile = new ol.VectorImageTile([0, 0, 0], 0, url, format,
+        ol.VectorImageTile.defaultLoadFunction, [0, 0, 0], function() {
+          return url;
+        }, ol.tilegrid.createXYZ(), ol.tilegrid.createXYZ(), {},
+        1, ol.proj.get('EPSG:3857'), ol.VectorTile);
+
+    tile.load();
+
+    ol.events.listen(tile, 'change', function(e) {
+      expect(tile.getState()).to.be(ol.TileState.ERROR);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('sets EMPTY state when tile has only empty source tiles', function(done) {
+    var format = new ol.format.GeoJSON();
+    var url = '';
+    var tile = new ol.VectorImageTile([0, 0, 0], 0, url, format,
+        ol.VectorImageTile.defaultLoadFunction, [0, 0, 0], function() {},
+        ol.tilegrid.createXYZ(), ol.tilegrid.createXYZ(), {},
+        1, ol.proj.get('EPSG:3857'), ol.VectorTile);
+
+    tile.load();
+
+    ol.events.listen(tile, 'change', function(e) {
+      expect(tile.getState()).to.be(ol.TileState.EMPTY);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
 });