Index: trunk/ippToPsps/src/ippToPspsBatchDetection.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ippToPsps/src/ippToPspsBatchDetection.c	(revision 28701)
+++ trunk/ippToPsps/src/ippToPspsBatchDetection.c	(revision 28992)
@@ -326,34 +326,38 @@
             fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONG, IMAGEMETA_NDETECT, 1, 1, 1, &numDetectionsOut, &status);
 
-            // detections
-            ippToPspsConfig_writeTable(this->config, fitsIn, this->fitsOut, nDet, "Detection", false);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_OBJID, 1, 1, nDet, objID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_DETECTID, 1, 1, nDet, detectID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_IPPOBJID, 1, 1, nDet, ippObjID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_IPPDETECTID, 1, 1, nDet, ippDetectID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TBYTE, DETECTION_FILTERID, 1, 1, nDet, filterIDs, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TBYTE, DETECTION_SURVEYID, 1, 1, nDet, surveyIDs, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_IMAGEID, 1, 1, nDet, imageID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TDOUBLE, DETECTION_OBSTIME, 1, 1, nDet, obsTimes, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TFLOAT, DETECTION_INSTFLUX, 1, 1, nDet, instFlux, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TFLOAT, DETECTION_INSTFLUXERR, 1, 1, nDet, instFluxErr, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TFLOAT, DETECTION_PEAKADU, 1, 1, nDet, peakFlux, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TSTRING, DETECTION_ASSOCDATE, 1, 1, nDet, assocDate, &status); 
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_INFOFLAG, 1, 1, nDet, flags, &status); 
-            if (numOfDuplicates||numInvalidFlux) fits_delete_rowlist(this->fitsOut, removeList, numOfDuplicates+numInvalidFlux, &status);
-
-            // skinny object
-            ippToPspsConfig_writeTable(this->config, fitsIn, this->fitsOut, nDet, "SkinnyObject", false);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, SKINNYOBJECT_OBJID, 1, 1, nDet, objID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, SKINNYOBJECT_IPPOBJID, 1, 1, nDet, ippObjID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TBYTE, SKINNYOBJECT_SURVEYID, 1, 1, nDet, surveyIDs, &status);
-            if (numOfDuplicates||numInvalidFlux) fits_delete_rowlist(this->fitsOut, removeList, numOfDuplicates+numInvalidFlux, &status);
-
-            // object calibration color
-            ippToPspsConfig_writeTable(this->config, fitsIn, this->fitsOut, nDet, "ObjectCalColor", false);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, OBJECTCALCOLOR_OBJID, 1, 1, nDet, objID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, OBJECTCALCOLOR_IPPOBJID, 1, 1, nDet, ippObjID, &status);
-            fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TBYTE, OBJECTCALCOLOR_FILTERID, 1, 1, nDet, filterIDs, &status);
-            if (numOfDuplicates||numInvalidFlux) fits_delete_rowlist(this->fitsOut, removeList, numOfDuplicates+numInvalidFlux, &status);
+            // avoid writing out an empty table of detections
+            if (numDetectionsOut > 0) {
+
+                // detections
+                ippToPspsConfig_writeTable(this->config, fitsIn, this->fitsOut, nDet, "Detection", false);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_OBJID, 1, 1, nDet, objID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_DETECTID, 1, 1, nDet, detectID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_IPPOBJID, 1, 1, nDet, ippObjID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_IPPDETECTID, 1, 1, nDet, ippDetectID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TBYTE, DETECTION_FILTERID, 1, 1, nDet, filterIDs, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TBYTE, DETECTION_SURVEYID, 1, 1, nDet, surveyIDs, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_IMAGEID, 1, 1, nDet, imageID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TDOUBLE, DETECTION_OBSTIME, 1, 1, nDet, obsTimes, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TFLOAT, DETECTION_INSTFLUX, 1, 1, nDet, instFlux, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TFLOAT, DETECTION_INSTFLUXERR, 1, 1, nDet, instFluxErr, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TFLOAT, DETECTION_PEAKADU, 1, 1, nDet, peakFlux, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TSTRING, DETECTION_ASSOCDATE, 1, 1, nDet, assocDate, &status); 
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, DETECTION_INFOFLAG, 1, 1, nDet, flags, &status); 
+                if (numOfDuplicates||numInvalidFlux) fits_delete_rowlist(this->fitsOut, removeList, numOfDuplicates+numInvalidFlux, &status);
+
+                // skinny object
+                ippToPspsConfig_writeTable(this->config, fitsIn, this->fitsOut, nDet, "SkinnyObject", false);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, SKINNYOBJECT_OBJID, 1, 1, nDet, objID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, SKINNYOBJECT_IPPOBJID, 1, 1, nDet, ippObjID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TBYTE, SKINNYOBJECT_SURVEYID, 1, 1, nDet, surveyIDs, &status);
+                if (numOfDuplicates||numInvalidFlux) fits_delete_rowlist(this->fitsOut, removeList, numOfDuplicates+numInvalidFlux, &status);
+
+                // object calibration color
+                ippToPspsConfig_writeTable(this->config, fitsIn, this->fitsOut, nDet, "ObjectCalColor", false);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, OBJECTCALCOLOR_OBJID, 1, 1, nDet, objID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TLONGLONG, OBJECTCALCOLOR_IPPOBJID, 1, 1, nDet, ippObjID, &status);
+                fits_write_col(this->fitsOut, TBYTE, OBJECTCALCOLOR_FILTERID, 1, 1, nDet, filterIDs, &status);
+                if (numOfDuplicates||numInvalidFlux) fits_delete_rowlist(this->fitsOut, removeList, numOfDuplicates+numInvalidFlux, &status);
+            }
 
             psLogMsg("ippToPsps", PS_LOG_INFO,