diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/java/li_std_list_runme.java b/Examples/test-suite/java/li_std_list_runme.java
index de53a9fa6..c3c666c51 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/java/li_std_list_runme.java
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/java/li_std_list_runme.java
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ public class li_std_list_runme {
     IntList v1 = new IntList();
     DoubleList v2 = new DoubleList();
 
-    v1.add(123);
+    if (!v1.isEmpty()) throw new RuntimeException("v1 test (1) failed");
+    if (v1.size() != 0) throw new RuntimeException("v1 test (2) failed");
+    if (!v1.add(123)) throw new RuntimeException("v1 test (3) failed");
+    if (v1.size() != 1) throw new RuntimeException("v1 test (4) failed");
+    if (v1.isEmpty()) throw new RuntimeException("v1 test (5) failed");
+
     if (v1.get(0) != 123) throw new RuntimeException("v1 test failed");
 
     StructList v4 = new StructList();
diff --git a/Lib/java/std_list.i b/Lib/java/std_list.i
index 38742632e..8714be0f4 100644
--- a/Lib/java/std_list.i
+++ b/Lib/java/std_list.i
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ namespace std {
     list(const list &o);
     ~list();
     void assign(size_type n, const value_type &val);
+    %rename(isEmpty) empty;
     bool empty() const;
     size_type max_size() const;
     void pop_back();