diff --git a/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/plugins/Pythia8Hadronizer.cc b/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/plugins/Pythia8Hadronizer.cc
index 3bcfe729c5793..a06f5c0402cb1 100644
--- a/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/plugins/Pythia8Hadronizer.cc
+++ b/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/plugins/Pythia8Hadronizer.cc
@@ -896,6 +896,10 @@ bool Pythia8Hadronizer::residualDecay() {
 void Pythia8Hadronizer::finalizeEvent() {
   bool lhe = lheEvent() != nullptr;
 
+  // protection against empty weight container
+  if ((event()->weights()).empty())
+    (event()->weights()).push_back(1.);
+
   // now create the GenEventInfo product from the GenEvent and fill
   // the missing pieces
   eventInfo() = std::make_unique<GenEventInfoProduct>(event().get());