diff --git a/sampling/include/var_opt_sketch_impl.hpp b/sampling/include/var_opt_sketch_impl.hpp
index ddf0716a..93f10b75 100644
--- a/sampling/include/var_opt_sketch_impl.hpp
+++ b/sampling/include/var_opt_sketch_impl.hpp
@@ -724,9 +724,11 @@ std::string var_opt_sketch<T,S,A>::items_to_string() const {
 
 template<typename T, typename S, typename A>
 void var_opt_sketch<T,S,A>::update(const T& item, double weight, bool mark) {
-  if (weight <= 0.0) { 
-    throw std::invalid_argument("Item weights must be strictly positive. Found: "
+  if (weight < 0.0 || std::isnan(weight) || std::isinf(weight)) {
+    throw std::invalid_argument("Item weights must be nonnegativge and finite. Found: "
                                 + std::to_string(weight));
+  } else if (weight == 0.0) {
+    return;
   }
   ++n_;
 
diff --git a/sampling/test/var_opt_sketch_test.cpp b/sampling/test/var_opt_sketch_test.cpp
index 2472a3a2..34811b50 100644
--- a/sampling/test/var_opt_sketch_test.cpp
+++ b/sampling/test/var_opt_sketch_test.cpp
@@ -240,6 +240,10 @@ class var_opt_sketch_test: public CppUnit::TestFixture {
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_THROW_MESSAGE("update() accepted a negative weight",
       sk.update("invalid_weight", -1.0),
       std::invalid_argument);
+
+    // should not throw but sketch shoulds till be empty
+    sk.update("zero weight", 0.0);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(sk.is_empty());
   }
 
   void corrupt_serialized_weight() {