diff --git a/django/utils/text.py b/django/utils/text.py
index 88c38f4b2ff..ad549c349de 100644
--- a/django/utils/text.py
+++ b/django/utils/text.py
@@ -302,6 +302,8 @@ class StreamingBuffer(object):
         self.vals.append(val)
 
     def read(self):
+        if not self.vals:
+            return b''
         ret = b''.join(self.vals)
         self.vals = []
         return ret
@@ -321,8 +323,9 @@ def compress_sequence(sequence):
     yield buf.read()
     for item in sequence:
         zfile.write(item)
-        zfile.flush()
-        yield buf.read()
+        data = buf.read()
+        if data:
+            yield data
     zfile.close()
     yield buf.read()
 
diff --git a/tests/utils_tests/test_text.py b/tests/utils_tests/test_text.py
index aa185346881..d8675fa8c5e 100644
--- a/tests/utils_tests/test_text.py
+++ b/tests/utils_tests/test_text.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+import json
+
 from django.test import SimpleTestCase
 from django.utils import six, text
 from django.utils.encoding import force_text
@@ -192,3 +194,12 @@ class TestUtilsText(SimpleTestCase):
     def test_get_valid_filename(self):
         filename = "^&'@{}[],$=!-#()%+~_123.txt"
         self.assertEqual(text.get_valid_filename(filename), "-_123.txt")
+
+    def test_compress_sequence(self):
+        data = [{'key': i} for i in range(10)]
+        seq = list(json.JSONEncoder().iterencode(data))
+        seq = [s.encode('utf-8') for s in seq]
+        actual_length = len(b''.join(seq))
+        out = text.compress_sequence(seq)
+        compressed_length = len(b''.join(out))
+        self.assertTrue(compressed_length < actual_length)