diff --git a/src/rougail/annotator/group.py b/src/rougail/annotator/group.py
index 93ca76b4f..499c0667f 100644
--- a/src/rougail/annotator/group.py
+++ b/src/rougail/annotator/group.py
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ class Annotator(Walk):
             if hasattr(family, 'dynamic'):
                 msg = _(f'the family "{family.name}" cannot be leadership and dynamic together')
                 raise DictConsistencyError(msg, 31, family.xmlfiles)
+            if not hasattr(family, 'variable'):
+                continue
             for idx, variable in enumerate(family.variable.values()):
                 if idx == 0:
                     # it's a leader
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/00_base.xml b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/00_base.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c9afec49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/00_base.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
+<rougail version="0.10">
+  <services>
+    <service name="tata">
+        </service>
+  </services>
+  <variables>
+    <family name="empty_leader" leadership="True">  
+    </family>  
+  </variables>
+</rougail>
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/__init__.py b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/after.json b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/after.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9cd2d3dde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/after.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+    "services.tata_service.activate": {
+        "owner": "default",
+        "value": true
+    },
+    "services.tata_service.manage": {
+        "owner": "default",
+        "value": true
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/base.json b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/base.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2bcec6972
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/base.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+    "services.tata_service.activate": true,
+    "services.tata_service.manage": true
+}
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/before.json b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/before.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9cd2d3dde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/makedict/before.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+    "services.tata_service.activate": {
+        "owner": "default",
+        "value": true
+    },
+    "services.tata_service.manage": {
+        "owner": "default",
+        "value": true
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/tiramisu/base.py b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/tiramisu/base.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3bc2c1041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dictionaries/10leadership_empty/tiramisu/base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+from importlib.machinery import SourceFileLoader as _SourceFileLoader
+from importlib.util import spec_from_loader as _spec_from_loader, module_from_spec as _module_from_spec
+class func:
+    pass
+_loader = _SourceFileLoader('func', 'tests/dictionaries/../eosfunc/test.py')
+_spec = _spec_from_loader(_loader.name, _loader)
+_func = _module_from_spec(_spec)
+_loader.exec_module(_func)
+for function in dir(_func):
+    if function.startswith('_'):
+        continue
+    setattr(func, function, getattr(_func, function))
+try:
+    from tiramisu3 import *
+except:
+    from tiramisu import *
+option_1 = OptionDescription(name="rougail", doc="rougail", children=[])
+option_4 = BoolOption(name="activate", doc="activate", default=True)
+option_5 = BoolOption(name="manage", doc="manage", default=True)
+option_3 = OptionDescription(name="tata_service", doc="tata.service", children=[option_4, option_5])
+option_2 = OptionDescription(name="services", doc="services", children=[option_3], properties=frozenset({"hidden"}))
+option_0 = OptionDescription(name="baseoption", doc="baseoption", children=[option_1, option_2])