diff --git a/modules/hs.py b/modules/hs.py
index c72eb78..c9fbbb9 100644
--- a/modules/hs.py
+++ b/modules/hs.py
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ def search(query):
     except (web.ConnectionError, web.HTTPError):
         raise GrumbleError("THE INTERNET IS FUCKING BROKEN. Please try again later.")
 
+    # apparently the failure mode if you search for <3 characters is a blank
+    # XML page...
+    if len(r) <= 0:
+        return False
+
     xml = lxml.etree.fromstring(r.encode('utf-8'))
     results = xml.findall('{0}directory-entries/{0}entry'.format(NS))
     if len(results) <= 0:
diff --git a/modules/test/test_hs.py b/modules/test/test_hs.py
index 7214ebd..c305fdf 100644
--- a/modules/test/test_hs.py
+++ b/modules/test/test_hs.py
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ class TestHs(unittest.TestCase):
         out = self.phenny.reply.call_args[0][0]
         self.assertRegex(out, pattern)
 
+    def test_2char(self):
+        input = Mock(group=lambda x: 'hs')
+        hs(self.phenny, input)
+
+        out = self.phenny.reply.call_args[0][0]
+        self.phenny.reply.assert_called_once_with("No results found")
+
     def test_none(self):
         input = Mock(group=lambda x: 'THIS_IS_NOT_A_REAL_SEARCH_QUERY')
         hs(self.phenny, input)