The HTTP/1.1 `Accept` request header is specified in [RFC 2616, section 14.1](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2616#section-14.1).

It's syntax is given like this:

```
   Accept         = "Accept" ":"
                    #( media-range [ accept-params ] )

```

`#` without any number states *zero or more* according to [section 2.1](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2616#section-2.1). However, section 14.1 doesn't make any statement about how to interpret an empty `Accept` header. This is in contrast to [section 14.2](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2616#section-14.2), which talks about `Accept-Encoding`, where not only `1#` is used (*one or more*), but also the case for an empty `Accept-Encoding` header is specified, which is kind of weird. Some other sections dealing with request headers are also specific on the special case of an empty value.

Should one treat an **empty** `Accept` header equivalently to a **non-existent** `Accept` header? Are there any official resources on this I missed?