--- a/libinterp/parse-tree/pt-cell.cc
+++ b/libinterp/parse-tree/pt-cell.cc
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 
   Cell val;
 
-  int i = 0;
+  octave_idx_type i = 0;
 
   for (iterator p = begin (); p != end (); p++)
     {
@@ -65,10 +65,15 @@
         {
           octave_idx_type this_nc = row.length ();
 
-          if (nc != this_nc)
+          if (this_nc != nc)
             {
-              ::error ("number of columns must match");
-              return retval;
+              if (this_nc == 0)
+                continue;  // blank line
+              else
+                {
+                  ::error ("number of columns must match");
+                  return retval;
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -78,6 +83,8 @@
       i++;
     }
 
+  if (i < nr)
+    val.resize (dim_vector (i, nc));  // there were blank rows
   retval = val;
 
   return retval;

--- a/test/parser.tst
+++ b/test/parser.tst
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 ## Tests for parser problems belong in this file.
 ## We need many more tests here!
 
+## Test cell construction operator {}
 %!assert ({1 2 {3 4}}, {1,2,{3,4}})
 %!assert ({1, 2 {3 4}}, {1,2,{3,4}})
 %!assert ({1 2, {3 4}}, {1,2,{3,4}})
@@ -28,6 +29,14 @@
 %!assert ({1 2,{3,4}}, {1,2,{3,4}})
 %!assert ({1,2,{3 4}}, {1,2,{3,4}})
 
+## bug #43113 using null comma-separated list in constructor
+%!test
+%! z = cell (1,2,3,0,5);
+%! assert ({1, z{:}, 2}, {1, 2});
+%! assert ({1; z{:}; 2}, {1; 2});
+%! assert ({1 2; z{:}; 3 4}, {1, 2; 3 4});
+%! assert ({1 2; 5 z{:} 6; 3 4}, {1, 2; 5 6; 3 4});
+
 ## Tests for operator precedence as documented in section 8.8 of manual
 ## There are 13 levels of precedence from "parentheses and indexing" (highest)
 ## down to "statement operators" (lowest).