diff --git a/src/util/range.hpp b/src/util/range.hpp
index 2439ca74ee785fac1f909e92b3189bbfcd6f5da2..9cb8a84a1706785ef05934129efe3327048c26cb 100644
--- a/src/util/range.hpp
+++ b/src/util/range.hpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <util/either.hpp>
 #include <util/iterutil.hpp>
 #include <util/meta.hpp>
+#include <util/sentinel.hpp>
 
 namespace nest {
 namespace mc {
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ struct range {
     range& operator=(const range&) = default;
     range& operator=(range&&) = default;
 
-    bool empty() const { return left==right; }
+    bool empty() const { return size() == 0; }
 
     iterator begin() const { return left; }
     const_iterator cbegin() const { return left; }
@@ -77,7 +78,10 @@ struct range {
     template <typename V = iterator>
     enable_if_t<is_forward_iterator<V>::value, size_type>
     size() const {
-        return std::distance(begin(), end());
+        auto b = make_sentinel_iterator(begin(), end());
+        auto e = make_sentinel_end(begin(), end());
+        auto dist = std::distance(b, e);
+        return (dist < 0) ? 0 : dist;
     }
 
     constexpr size_type max_size() const { return std::numeric_limits<size_type>::max(); }
@@ -148,164 +152,6 @@ range<U, V> make_range(const U& left, const V& right) {
     return range<U, V>(left, right);
 }
 
-/*
- * Use a proxy iterator to present a range as having the same begin and
- * end types, for use with e.g. pre-C++17 ranged-for loops or STL
- * algorithms.
- */
-template <typename I, typename S>
-class sentinel_iterator {
-    nest::mc::util::either<I, S> e_;
-
-    bool is_sentinel() const { return e_.index()!=0; }
-
-    I& iter() {
-        EXPECTS(!is_sentinel());
-        return e_.template unsafe_get<0>();
-    }
-
-    const I& iter() const {
-        EXPECTS(!is_sentinel());
-        return e_.template unsafe_get<0>();
-    }
-
-    S& sentinel() {
-        EXPECTS(is_sentinel());
-        return e_.template unsafe_get<1>();
-    }
-
-    const S& sentinel() const {
-        EXPECTS(is_sentinel());
-        return e_.template unsafe_get<1>();
-    }
-
-public:
-    using difference_type = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::difference_type;
-    using value_type = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::value_type;
-    using pointer = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::pointer;
-    using reference = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::reference;
-    using iterator_category = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::iterator_category;
-
-    sentinel_iterator(I i): e_(i) {}
-
-    template <typename V = S, typename = enable_if_t<!std::is_same<I, V>::value>>
-    sentinel_iterator(S i): e_(i) {}
-
-    sentinel_iterator() = default;
-    sentinel_iterator(const sentinel_iterator&) = default;
-    sentinel_iterator(sentinel_iterator&&) = default;
-
-    sentinel_iterator& operator=(const sentinel_iterator&) = default;
-    sentinel_iterator& operator=(sentinel_iterator&&) = default;
-
-    // forward and input iterator requirements
-
-    auto operator*() const -> decltype(*(this->iter())) { return *iter(); }
-
-    I operator->() const { return e_.template ptr<0>(); }
-
-    sentinel_iterator& operator++() {
-        ++iter();
-        return *this;
-    }
-
-    sentinel_iterator operator++(int) {
-        sentinel_iterator c(*this);
-        ++*this;
-        return c;
-    }
-
-    bool operator==(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
-        if (is_sentinel()) {
-            return x.is_sentinel() || x.iter()==sentinel();
-        }
-        else {
-            return x.is_sentinel()? iter()==x.sentinel(): iter()==x.iter();
-        }
-    }
-
-    bool operator!=(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
-        return !(*this==x);
-    }
-
-    // bidirectional iterator requirements
-
-    sentinel_iterator& operator--() {
-        --iter();
-        return *this;
-    }
-
-    sentinel_iterator operator--(int) {
-        sentinel_iterator c(*this);
-        --*this;
-        return c;
-    }
-
-    // random access iterator requirements
-
-    sentinel_iterator &operator+=(difference_type n) {
-        iter() += n;
-        return *this;
-    }
-
-    sentinel_iterator operator+(difference_type n) const {
-        sentinel_iterator c(*this);
-        return c += n;
-    }
-
-    friend sentinel_iterator operator+(difference_type n, sentinel_iterator x) {
-        return x+n;
-    }
-
-    sentinel_iterator& operator-=(difference_type n) {
-        iter() -= n;
-        return *this;
-    }
-
-    sentinel_iterator operator-(difference_type n) const {
-        sentinel_iterator c(*this);
-        return c -= n;
-    }
-
-    difference_type operator-(sentinel_iterator x) const {
-        return iter()-x.iter();
-    }
-
-    auto operator[](difference_type n) const -> decltype(*(this->iter())) {
-        return *(iter()+n);
-    }
-
-    bool operator<=(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
-        return x.is_sentinel() || (!is_sentinel() && iter()<=x.iter());
-    }
-
-    bool operator<(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
-        return !is_sentinel() && (x.is_sentinel() || iter()<=x.iter());
-    }
-
-    bool operator>=(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
-        return !(x<*this);
-    }
-
-    bool operator>(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
-        return !(x<=*this);
-    }
-};
-
-template <typename I, typename S>
-using sentinel_iterator_t =
-    typename std::conditional<std::is_same<I, S>::value, I, sentinel_iterator<I, S>>::type;
-
-template <typename I, typename S>
-sentinel_iterator_t<I, S> make_sentinel_iterator(const I& i, const S& s) {
-    return sentinel_iterator_t<I, S>(i);
-}
-
-template <typename I, typename S>
-sentinel_iterator_t<I, S> make_sentinel_end(const I& i, const S& s) {
-    return sentinel_iterator_t<I, S>(s);
-}
-
 template <typename Seq>
 auto canonical_view(const Seq& s) ->
     range<sentinel_iterator_t<decltype(std::begin(s)), decltype(std::end(s))>>
diff --git a/src/util/sentinel.hpp b/src/util/sentinel.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..8d08ecd41fe77f9c11ed08b8b539536792459c36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/sentinel.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <type_traits>
+
+#include <util/meta.hpp>
+
+/*
+ * Use a proxy iterator to present a range as having the same begin and
+ * end types, for use with e.g. pre-C++17 ranged-for loops or STL
+ * algorithms.
+ */
+
+namespace nest {
+namespace mc {
+namespace util {
+
+template<typename I, typename S, bool Same>
+struct iterator_category_select {
+    // default category
+    using iterator_category = std::forward_iterator_tag;
+};
+
+template<typename I, typename S>
+struct iterator_category_select<I,S,true> {
+    using iterator_category = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::iterator_category;
+};
+
+template <typename I, typename S>
+class sentinel_iterator {
+    nest::mc::util::either<I, S> e_;
+
+    bool is_sentinel() const { return e_.index()!=0; }
+
+    I& iter() {
+        EXPECTS(!is_sentinel());
+        return e_.template unsafe_get<0>();
+    }
+
+    const I& iter() const {
+        EXPECTS(!is_sentinel());
+        return e_.template unsafe_get<0>();
+    }
+
+    S& sentinel() {
+        EXPECTS(is_sentinel());
+        return e_.template unsafe_get<1>();
+    }
+
+    const S& sentinel() const {
+        EXPECTS(is_sentinel());
+        return e_.template unsafe_get<1>();
+    }
+
+public:
+    using difference_type = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::difference_type;
+    using value_type = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::value_type;
+    using pointer = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::pointer;
+    using reference = typename std::iterator_traits<I>::reference;
+    using iterator_category = typename iterator_category_select<
+        I,S,std::is_same<I,S>::value>::iterator_category;
+
+    sentinel_iterator(I i): e_(i) {}
+
+    template <typename V = S, typename = enable_if_t<!std::is_same<I, V>::value>>
+    sentinel_iterator(S i): e_(i) {}
+
+    sentinel_iterator() = default;
+    sentinel_iterator(const sentinel_iterator&) = default;
+    sentinel_iterator(sentinel_iterator&&) = default;
+
+    sentinel_iterator& operator=(const sentinel_iterator&) = default;
+    sentinel_iterator& operator=(sentinel_iterator&&) = default;
+
+    // forward and input iterator requirements
+
+    auto operator*() const -> decltype(*(this->iter())) { return *iter(); }
+
+    I operator->() const { return e_.template ptr<0>(); }
+
+    sentinel_iterator& operator++() {
+        ++iter();
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    sentinel_iterator operator++(int) {
+        sentinel_iterator c(*this);
+        ++*this;
+        return c;
+    }
+
+    bool operator==(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
+        if (is_sentinel()) {
+            return x.is_sentinel() || x.iter()==sentinel();
+        }
+        else {
+            return x.is_sentinel()? iter()==x.sentinel(): iter()==x.iter();
+        }
+    }
+
+    bool operator!=(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
+        return !(*this==x);
+    }
+
+    // bidirectional iterator requirements
+
+    sentinel_iterator& operator--() {
+        --iter();
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    sentinel_iterator operator--(int) {
+        sentinel_iterator c(*this);
+        --*this;
+        return c;
+    }
+
+    // random access iterator requirements
+
+    sentinel_iterator &operator+=(difference_type n) {
+        iter() += n;
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    sentinel_iterator operator+(difference_type n) const {
+        sentinel_iterator c(*this);
+        return c += n;
+    }
+
+    friend sentinel_iterator operator+(difference_type n, sentinel_iterator x) {
+        return x+n;
+    }
+
+    sentinel_iterator& operator-=(difference_type n) {
+        iter() -= n;
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    sentinel_iterator operator-(difference_type n) const {
+        sentinel_iterator c(*this);
+        return c -= n;
+    }
+
+    difference_type operator-(sentinel_iterator x) const {
+        return iter()-x.iter();
+    }
+
+    auto operator[](difference_type n) const -> decltype(*(this->iter())) {
+        return *(iter()+n);
+    }
+
+    bool operator<=(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
+        return x.is_sentinel() || (!is_sentinel() && iter()<=x.iter());
+    }
+
+    bool operator<(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
+        return !is_sentinel() && (x.is_sentinel() || iter()<=x.iter());
+    }
+
+    bool operator>=(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
+        return !(x<*this);
+    }
+
+    bool operator>(const sentinel_iterator& x) const {
+        return !(x<=*this);
+    }
+};
+
+template <typename I, typename S>
+using sentinel_iterator_t =
+    typename std::conditional<std::is_same<I, S>::value, I, sentinel_iterator<I, S>>::type;
+
+template <typename I, typename S>
+sentinel_iterator_t<I, S> make_sentinel_iterator(const I& i, const S& s) {
+    return sentinel_iterator_t<I, S>(i);
+}
+
+template <typename I, typename S>
+sentinel_iterator_t<I, S> make_sentinel_end(const I& i, const S& s) {
+    return sentinel_iterator_t<I, S>(s);
+}
+
+}
+}
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_range.cpp b/tests/unit/test_range.cpp
index 7847212e3f0b0546c1f974dbdebab3303a15ea1d..af6ac52df08892cc337369612ba46500a8d120b9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_range.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/test_range.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <util/range.hpp>
+#include <util/sentinel.hpp>
 
 using namespace nest::mc;
 
@@ -70,6 +71,17 @@ TEST(range, pointer) {
     EXPECT_TRUE(std::equal(s.begin(), s.end(), &xs[l]));
 }
 
+TEST(range, empty) {
+    int xs[] = { 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 };
+    auto l = 2;
+    auto r = 5;
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(util::make_range(&xs[l], &xs[l]).empty());
+    EXPECT_TRUE(util::make_range(&xs[r], &xs[r]).empty());
+    EXPECT_TRUE(util::make_range(&xs[r], &xs[l]).empty());
+    EXPECT_EQ(0u, util::make_range(&xs[r], &xs[l]).size());
+}
+
 TEST(range, input_iterator) {
     int nums[] = { 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 };
     std::istringstream sin("10 9 8 7 6");
@@ -122,6 +134,10 @@ TEST(range, sentinel) {
     }
 
     EXPECT_EQ(s, std::string(cstr));
+
+    const char *empty_cstr = "";
+    auto empty_cstr_range = util::make_range(empty_cstr, null_terminated);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(empty_cstr_range.empty());
 }
 
 #ifdef WITH_TBB