diff --git a/src/archive/zip/writer.go b/src/archive/zip/writer.go
index 506148ee30..5f0c0a1a55 100644
--- a/src/archive/zip/writer.go
+++ b/src/archive/zip/writer.go
@@ -336,6 +336,12 @@ func (w *Writer) CreateHeader(fh *FileHeader) (io.Writer, error) {
 		fh.Method = Store
 		fh.Flags &^= 0x8 // we will not write a data descriptor
 
+		// Explicitly clear sizes as they have no meaning for directories.
+		fh.CompressedSize = 0
+		fh.CompressedSize64 = 0
+		fh.UncompressedSize = 0
+		fh.UncompressedSize64 = 0
+
 		ow = dirWriter{}
 	} else {
 		fh.Flags |= 0x8 // we will write a data descriptor
@@ -419,7 +425,10 @@ func (w *Writer) compressor(method uint16) Compressor {
 
 type dirWriter struct{}
 
-func (dirWriter) Write([]byte) (int, error) {
+func (dirWriter) Write(b []byte) (int, error) {
+	if len(b) == 0 {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
 	return 0, errors.New("zip: write to directory")
 }
 
diff --git a/src/archive/zip/writer_test.go b/src/archive/zip/writer_test.go
index 468424c72a..1fedfd85e8 100644
--- a/src/archive/zip/writer_test.go
+++ b/src/archive/zip/writer_test.go
@@ -306,21 +306,28 @@ func TestWriterDir(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	if _, err := dw.Write(nil); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Write(nil) to directory: got %v, want nil", err)
+	}
 	if _, err := dw.Write([]byte("hello")); err == nil {
-		t.Error("Write to directory: got nil error, want non-nil")
+		t.Error(`Write("hello") to directory: got nil error, want non-nil`)
 	}
 }
 
 func TestWriterDirAttributes(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	w := NewWriter(&buf)
-	if _, err := w.Create("dir/"); err != nil {
+	if _, err := w.CreateHeader(&FileHeader{
+		Name:               "dir/",
+		Method:             Deflate,
+		CompressedSize64:   1234,
+		UncompressedSize64: 5678,
+	}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if err := w.Close(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-
 	b := buf.Bytes()
 
 	var sig [4]byte