diff --git a/src/operator/tensor/matrix_op-inl.h b/src/operator/tensor/matrix_op-inl.h
index 9668843a61dd..de175cd428fe 100644
--- a/src/operator/tensor/matrix_op-inl.h
+++ b/src/operator/tensor/matrix_op-inl.h
@@ -730,14 +730,17 @@ inline void GetIndexRange(const mxnet::TShape& dshape,
         CHECK_NE(b, e) << "slicing with begin[" << i << "]=end[" << i << "]="
                        << e << " results in an empty tensor and is not supported";
       }
+    } else if (len == 0) {
+      b = 0;
+      e = 0;
     }
 
-    if (Imperative::Get()->is_np_shape()) {
+    if (Imperative::Get()->is_np_shape() && len > 0) {
       // move the begin and end to correct position for calculating dim size
       b = b < 0 && s > 0 ? 0 : b;
-      b = b > len-1 && s < 0 ? len-1 : b;
+      b = b > len - 1 && s < 0 ? len-1 : b;
       // if the start value lead to empty tensor under step s, use -1 for indication
-      b = b < 0 || b > len-1 ? -1 : b;
+      b = b < 0 || b > len - 1 ? -1 : b;
       e = e > -1 ? e : -1;
       e = e > len ? len : e;
     }
@@ -753,9 +756,14 @@ inline void GetIndexRange(const mxnet::TShape& dshape,
   }
 }
 
-inline void SetSliceOpOutputDimSize(const index_t i, const int b,
+inline void SetSliceOpOutputDimSize(const mxnet::TShape& dshape,
+                                    const index_t i, const int b,
                                     const int e, const int s,
                                     mxnet::TShape* oshape) {
+  if (!mxnet::dim_size_is_known(dshape, i)) {
+    (*oshape)[i] = -1;
+    return;
+  }
   if (!Imperative::Get()->is_np_shape()) {  // handle as ndarray
     if (e != b) {
       if (s > 0) {
@@ -788,6 +796,7 @@ inline bool SliceOpShape(const nnvm::NodeAttrs& attrs,
   CHECK_EQ(out_attrs->size(), 1U);
   const mxnet::TShape& dshape = (*in_attrs)[0];
   if (!mxnet::ndim_is_known(dshape)) return false;
+  CHECK_GT(dshape.ndim(), 0) << "slice only works for ndim > 0";
   const SliceParam& param = nnvm::get<SliceParam>(attrs.parsed);
   mxnet::TShape oshape = dshape;
 
@@ -796,12 +805,12 @@ inline bool SliceOpShape(const nnvm::NodeAttrs& attrs,
     GetIndexRange(dshape, param.begin, param.end, param.step, &begin, &end, &step);
     for (int i = 0; i < param.begin.ndim(); ++i) {
       const int b = begin[i], e = end[i], s = step[i];
-      SetSliceOpOutputDimSize(i, b, e, s, &oshape);
+      SetSliceOpOutputDimSize(dshape, i, b, e, s, &oshape);
     }
   })
 
   SHAPE_ASSIGN_CHECK(*out_attrs, 0, oshape);
-  return shape_is_known(oshape);
+  return shape_is_known(dshape) && shape_is_known(oshape);
 }
 
 template<int ndim, int req, typename xpu>
@@ -879,7 +888,7 @@ void SliceOpForward(const nnvm::NodeAttrs& attrs,
   Stream<xpu>* s = ctx.get_stream<xpu>();
   const TBlob& data = inputs[0];
   const TBlob& out = outputs[0];
-  if (Imperative::Get()->is_np_shape() && out.Size() == 0) return;
+  if (out.Size() == 0) return;
   const SliceParam& param = nnvm::get<SliceParam>(attrs.parsed);
   MXNET_NDIM_SWITCH(data.ndim(), ndim, {
     common::StaticArray<index_t, ndim> begin, end, step;
@@ -979,7 +988,7 @@ void SliceOpBackward(const nnvm::NodeAttrs& attrs,
   } else if (req[0] == kWriteInplace) {
     LOG(FATAL) << "_slice_backward does not support kWriteInplace";
   }
-  if (Imperative::Get()->is_np_shape() && ograd.Size() == 0) return;
+  if (ograd.Size() == 0) return;
   MXNET_NDIM_SWITCH(ograd.ndim(), ndim, {
     common::StaticArray<index_t, ndim> begin, end, step;
     GetIndexRange(igrad.shape_, param.begin, param.end, param.step, &begin, &end, &step);
@@ -1011,7 +1020,7 @@ inline bool SliceAssignOpShape(const nnvm::NodeAttrs& attrs,
     GetIndexRange(dshape, param.begin, param.end, param.step, &begin, &end, &step);
     for (int i = 0; i < param.begin.ndim(); ++i) {
       const int b = begin[i], e = end[i], s = step[i];
-      SetSliceOpOutputDimSize(i, b, e, s, &vshape);
+      SetSliceOpOutputDimSize(dshape, i, b, e, s, &vshape);
     }
   })
   SHAPE_ASSIGN_CHECK(*in_attrs, 1, vshape);
@@ -1150,7 +1159,7 @@ void SliceAssignScalarOpForward(const nnvm::NodeAttrs& attrs,
     GetIndexRange(data.shape_, param.begin, param.end, param.step, &begin, &end, &step);
     for (index_t i = 0; i < param.begin.ndim(); ++i) {
       const int b = begin[i], e = end[i], s = step[i];
-      SetSliceOpOutputDimSize(i, b, e, s, &vshape);
+      SetSliceOpOutputDimSize(data.shape_, i, b, e, s, &vshape);
     }
     MSHADOW_TYPE_SWITCH(out.type_flag_, DType, {
       mxnet_op::Kernel<slice_assign_scalar<ndim>, xpu>::Launch(s, vshape.FlatTo2D()[0],