diff --git a/IPython/core/completer.py b/IPython/core/completer.py
index 01730fff2..9091ccad5 100644
--- a/IPython/core/completer.py
+++ b/IPython/core/completer.py
@@ -1708,8 +1708,6 @@ def latex_matches(self, text):
         u"""Match Latex syntax for unicode characters.
 
         This does both ``\\alp`` -> ``\\alpha`` and ``\\alpha`` -> ``α``
-
-        Used on Python 3 only.
         """
         slashpos = text.rfind('\\')
         if slashpos > -1:
@@ -1722,7 +1720,8 @@ def latex_matches(self, text):
                 # If a user has partially typed a latex symbol, give them
                 # a full list of options \al -> [\aleph, \alpha]
                 matches = [k for k in latex_symbols if k.startswith(s)]
-                return s, matches
+                if matches:
+                    return s, matches
         return u'', []
 
     def dispatch_custom_completer(self, text):

diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py
index 2920d4539..2c19e2e01 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py
@@ -224,20 +224,27 @@ def test_latex_completions(self):
         nt.assert_in("\\alpha", matches)
         nt.assert_in("\\aleph", matches)
 
+    def test_latex_no_results(self):
+        """
+        forward latex should really return nothing in either field if nothing is found.
+        """
+        ip = get_ipython()
+        text, matches = ip.Completer.latex_matches("\\really_i_should_match_nothing")
+        nt.assert_equal(text, "")
+        nt.assert_equal(matches, [])
+
     def test_back_latex_completion(self):
         ip = get_ipython()
 
         # do not return more than 1 matches fro \beta, only the latex one.
         name, matches = ip.complete("\\β")
-        nt.assert_equal(len(matches), 1)
-        nt.assert_equal(matches[0], "\\beta")
+        nt.assert_equal(matches, ['\\beta'])
 
     def test_back_unicode_completion(self):
         ip = get_ipython()
 
         name, matches = ip.complete("\\Ⅴ")
-        nt.assert_equal(len(matches), 1)
-        nt.assert_equal(matches[0], "\\ROMAN NUMERAL FIVE")
+        nt.assert_equal(matches, ["\\ROMAN NUMERAL FIVE"])
 
     def test_forward_unicode_completion(self):
         ip = get_ipython()

completer latex_matches no respecting API
It return matched text even if it return no completions.
IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_latex_no_results
IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::test_protect_filename IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::test_line_split IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_abspath_file_completions IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_aimport_module_completer IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_all_completions_dups IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_back_latex_completion IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_back_unicode_completion IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_cell_magics IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_class_key_completion IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_completion_have_signature IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_custom_completion_error IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_custom_completion_ordering IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_deduplicate_completions IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_default_arguments_from_docstring IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_dict_key_completion_bytes IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_dict_key_completion_contexts IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_dict_key_completion_invalids IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_dict_key_completion_string IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_dict_key_completion_unicode_py3 IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_forward_unicode_completion IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_from_module_completer IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_func_kw_completions IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_get__all__entries_no__all__ok IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_get__all__entries_ok IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_greedy_completions IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_has_open_quotes1 IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_has_open_quotes2 IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_has_open_quotes3 IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_has_open_quotes4 IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_import_module_completer IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_jedi IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_latex_completions IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_limit_to__all__False_ok IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_line_cell_magics IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_line_magics IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_local_file_completions IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_magic_color IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_magic_completion_order IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_magic_completion_shadowing IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_magic_completion_shadowing_explicit IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_magic_config IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_match_dict_keys IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_mix_terms IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_nested_import_module_completer IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_object_key_completion IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_omit__names IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_quoted_file_completions IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_snake_case_completion IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_struct_array_key_completion IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_tryimport IPython/core/tests/test_completer.py::TestCompleter::test_unicode_completions