diff --git a/kitty/core_text.m b/kitty/core_text.m
index 18d93c2d9..906a9ab55 100644
--- a/kitty/core_text.m
+++ b/kitty/core_text.m
@@ -200,6 +200,15 @@ glyph_id_for_codepoint(PyObject *s, char_type ch) {
     return glyphs[0];
 }
 
+bool
+is_glyph_empty(PyObject *s, glyph_index g) {
+    CTFace *self = (CTFace*)s;
+    CGGlyph gg = g;
+    CGRect bounds;
+    CTFontGetBoundingRectsForGlyphs(self->ct_font, kCTFontOrientationHorizontal, &gg, &bounds, 1);
+    return bounds.size.width <= 0;
+}
+
 static inline float
 scaled_point_sz() {
     return ((global_state.logical_dpi_x + global_state.logical_dpi_y) / 144.0) * global_state.font_sz_in_pts;
diff --git a/kitty/fonts.c b/kitty/fonts.c
index f808e0206..2a9b24da8 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts.c
+++ b/kitty/fonts.c
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #define MISSING_GLYPH 4
 #define MAX_NUM_EXTRA_GLYPHS 8
 
-typedef uint16_t glyph_index;
 typedef void (*send_sprite_to_gpu_func)(unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int, pixel*);
 send_sprite_to_gpu_func current_send_sprite_to_gpu = NULL;
 static PyObject *python_send_to_gpu_impl = NULL;
@@ -39,6 +38,8 @@ struct SpritePosition {
 
 #define SPECIAL_FILLED_MASK 1
 #define SPECIAL_VALUE_MASK 2
+#define EMPTY_FILLED_MASK 4
+#define EMPTY_VALUE_MASK 8
 
 struct SpecialGlyphCache {
     SpecialGlyphCache *next;
@@ -153,13 +154,13 @@ sprite_position_for(Font *font, glyph_index glyph, ExtraGlyphs *extra_glyphs, ui
     return s;
 }
 
-static SpecialGlyphCache*
-special_glyph_cache_for(Font *font, glyph_index glyph) {
+static inline SpecialGlyphCache*
+special_glyph_cache_for(Font *font, glyph_index glyph, uint8_t mask) {
     SpecialGlyphCache *s = font->special_glyph_cache + (glyph & 0x3ff);
     // Optimize for the common case of glyph under 1024 already in the cache
-    if (LIKELY(s->glyph == glyph && s->data & SPECIAL_FILLED_MASK)) return s;  // Cache hit
+    if (LIKELY(s->glyph == glyph && s->data & mask)) return s;  // Cache hit
     while(true) {
-        if (s->data & SPECIAL_FILLED_MASK) {
+        if (s->data & mask) {
             if (s->glyph == glyph) return s;  // Cache hit
         } else {
             break;
@@ -565,7 +566,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 typedef struct {
     uint32_t previous_cluster;
-    bool prev_was_special;
+    bool prev_was_special, prev_was_empty;
     CellData current_cell_data;
     Group *groups;
     size_t groups_capacity, group_idx, glyph_idx, cell_idx, num_cells, num_glyphs;
@@ -592,6 +593,7 @@ shape(Cell *first_cell, index_type num_cells, hb_font_t *font) {
     }
     group_state.previous_cluster = UINT32_MAX;
     group_state.prev_was_special = false;
+    group_state.prev_was_empty = false;
     group_state.current_cell_data.cell = first_cell; group_state.current_cell_data.num_codepoints = num_codepoints_in_cell(first_cell); group_state.current_cell_data.codepoints_consumed = 0; group_state.current_cell_data.current_codepoint = first_cell->ch;
     memset(group_state.groups, 0, sizeof(Group) * group_state.groups_capacity);
     group_state.group_idx = 0;
@@ -613,7 +615,7 @@ static inline bool
 is_special_glyph(glyph_index glyph_id, Font *font, CellData* cell_data) {
     // A glyph is special if the codepoint it corresponds to matches a
     // different glyph in the font
-    SpecialGlyphCache *s = special_glyph_cache_for(font, glyph_id);
+    SpecialGlyphCache *s = special_glyph_cache_for(font, glyph_id, SPECIAL_FILLED_MASK);
     if (s == NULL) return false;
     if (!(s->data & SPECIAL_FILLED_MASK)) {
         bool is_special = cell_data->current_codepoint ? (
@@ -626,6 +628,18 @@ is_special_glyph(glyph_index glyph_id, Font *font, CellData* cell_data) {
     return s->data & SPECIAL_VALUE_MASK;
 }
 
+static inline bool
+is_empty_glyph(glyph_index glyph_id, Font *font) {
+    // A glyph is empty if its metrics have a width of zero
+    SpecialGlyphCache *s = special_glyph_cache_for(font, glyph_id, EMPTY_FILLED_MASK);
+    if (s == NULL) return false;
+    if (!(s->data & EMPTY_FILLED_MASK)) {
+        uint8_t val = is_glyph_empty(font->face, glyph_id) ? EMPTY_VALUE_MASK : 0;
+        s->data |= val | EMPTY_FILLED_MASK;
+    }
+    return s->data & EMPTY_VALUE_MASK;
+}
+
 static inline unsigned int
 check_cell_consumed(CellData *cell_data, Cell *last_cell) {
     cell_data->codepoints_consumed++;
@@ -676,6 +690,7 @@ shape_run(Cell *first_cell, index_type num_cells, Font *font) {
         glyph_index glyph_id = G(info)[G(glyph_idx)].codepoint;
         cluster = G(info)[G(glyph_idx)].cluster;
         bool is_special = is_special_glyph(glyph_id, font, &G(current_cell_data));
+        bool is_empty = is_special && is_empty_glyph(glyph_id, font);
         uint32_t num_codepoints_used_by_glyph = 0;
         bool is_last_glyph = G(glyph_idx) == G(num_glyphs) - 1;
         Group *current_group = G(groups) + G(group_idx);
@@ -689,7 +704,7 @@ shape_run(Cell *first_cell, index_type num_cells, Font *font) {
             add_to_current_group = true;
         } else {
             if (is_special) {
-                add_to_current_group = G(prev_was_special);
+                add_to_current_group = G(prev_was_empty);
             } else {
                 add_to_current_group = !G(prev_was_special);
             }
@@ -734,6 +749,7 @@ shape_run(Cell *first_cell, index_type num_cells, Font *font) {
         }
 
         G(prev_was_special) = is_special;
+        G(prev_was_empty) = is_empty;
         G(previous_cluster) = cluster;
         G(glyph_idx)++;
     }
diff --git a/kitty/fonts.h b/kitty/fonts.h
index b01a4816c..58616cc26 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts.h
+++ b/kitty/fonts.h
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@
 
 
 // API that font backends need to implement
+typedef uint16_t glyph_index;
 unsigned int glyph_id_for_codepoint(PyObject *, char_type);
+bool is_glyph_empty(PyObject *, glyph_index);
 hb_font_t* harfbuzz_font_for_face(PyObject*);
 bool set_size_for_face(PyObject*, unsigned int, bool);
 void cell_metrics(PyObject*, unsigned int*, unsigned int*, unsigned int*, unsigned int*, unsigned int*);
diff --git a/kitty/freetype.c b/kitty/freetype.c
index 051221ed5..c11199559 100644
--- a/kitty/freetype.c
+++ b/kitty/freetype.c
@@ -300,6 +300,17 @@ glyph_id_for_codepoint(PyObject *s, char_type cp) {
     return FT_Get_Char_Index(((Face*)s)->face, cp);
 }
 
+
+bool
+is_glyph_empty(PyObject *s, glyph_index g) {
+    Face *self = (Face*)s;
+    if (!load_glyph(self, g, FT_LOAD_DEFAULT)) { PyErr_Print(); return false; }
+#define M self->face->glyph->metrics
+    /* printf("glyph: %u horiBearingX: %ld horiBearingY: %ld width: %ld height: %ld\n", g, M.horiBearingX, M.horiBearingY, M.width, M.height); */
+    return M.width == 0;
+#undef M
+}
+
 hb_font_t*
 harfbuzz_font_for_face(PyObject *self) { return ((Face*)self)->harfbuzz_font; }
 
diff --git a/kitty_tests/fonts.py b/kitty_tests/fonts.py
index d2d6c8eae..f355ccf4a 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/fonts.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/fonts.py
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ class Rendering(BaseTest):
 
             self.ae(groups('abcd'), [(1, 1) for i in range(4)])
             self.ae(groups('A=>>B!=C', path='kitty_tests/FiraCode-Medium.otf'), [(1, 1), (3, 3), (1, 1), (2, 2), (1, 1)])
+            self.ae(groups('==!=<>==<><><>', path='kitty_tests/FiraCode-Medium.otf'), [(2, 2), (2, 2), (2, 2), (2, 2), (2, 2), (2, 2), (2, 2)])
             colon_glyph = shape_string('9:30', path='kitty_tests/FiraCode-Medium.otf')[1][2]
             self.assertNotEqual(colon_glyph, shape_string(':', path='kitty_tests/FiraCode-Medium.otf')[0][2])
             self.ae(colon_glyph, 998)