diff --git a/player/lua.c b/player/lua.c
index cf0c5caa41..3bf5298578 100644
--- a/player/lua.c
+++ b/player/lua.c
@@ -967,6 +967,8 @@ static int script_set_osd_ass(lua_State *L)
     int res_x = luaL_checkinteger(L, 1);
     int res_y = luaL_checkinteger(L, 2);
     const char *text = luaL_checkstring(L, 3);
+    if (!text[0])
+        text = " "; // force external OSD initialization
     osd_set_external(mpctx->osd, res_x, res_y, (char *)text);
     mp_input_wakeup(mpctx->input);
     return 0;
diff --git a/sub/osd_libass.c b/sub/osd_libass.c
index 727faa39f1..bc4a24228a 100644
--- a/sub/osd_libass.c
+++ b/sub/osd_libass.c
@@ -201,11 +201,12 @@ static void update_osd(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
 {
     struct MPOpts *opts = osd->opts;
 
-    create_ass_track(osd, obj, 0, 0);
     clear_obj(obj);
     if (!obj->text[0])
         return;
 
+    create_ass_track(osd, obj, 0, 0);
+
     struct osd_style_opts font = *opts->osd_style;
     font.font_size *= opts->osd_scale;
 
@@ -326,14 +327,14 @@ static void get_osd_bar_box(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj,
 
 static void update_progbar(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
 {
-    float px, py, width, height, border;
-    get_osd_bar_box(osd, obj, &px, &py, &width, &height, &border);
-
     clear_obj(obj);
 
     if (obj->progbar_state.type < 0)
         return;
 
+    float px, py, width, height, border;
+    get_osd_bar_box(osd, obj, &px, &py, &width, &height, &border);
+
     float sx = px - border * 2 - height / 4; // includes additional spacing
     float sy = py + height / 2;
 
@@ -404,10 +405,13 @@ static void update_progbar(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
 
 static void update_external(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
 {
-    create_ass_track(osd, obj, obj->external_res_x, obj->external_res_y);
     clear_obj(obj);
 
     bstr t = bstr0(obj->text);
+    if (!t.len)
+        return;
+    create_ass_track(osd, obj, obj->external_res_x, obj->external_res_y);
+
     while (t.len) {
         bstr line;
         bstr_split_tok(t, "\n", &line, &t);