diff --git a/base/boot.jl b/base/boot.jl
index 1ab6488471a9b..20f786d6415e5 100644
--- a/base/boot.jl
+++ b/base/boot.jl
@@ -322,7 +322,6 @@ typealias NTuple{N,T} Tuple{Vararg{T,N}}
 (::Type{Array{T}}){T}(m::Int, n::Int, o::Int) = Array{T,3}(m, n, o)
 
 (::Type{Array{T,1}}){T}() = Array{T,1}(0)
-(::Type{Array{T,2}}){T}() = Array{T,2}(0, 0)
 
 # primitive Symbol constructors
 function Symbol(s::String)
diff --git a/base/deprecated.jl b/base/deprecated.jl
index c3fd283b7c115..b538e3da0b5e8 100644
--- a/base/deprecated.jl
+++ b/base/deprecated.jl
@@ -1213,6 +1213,17 @@ end)
 
 @deprecate FloatRange{T}(start::T, step, len, den) Base.floatrange(T, start, step, len, den)
 
+@noinline zero_arg_matrix_constructor(prefix::String) =
+    depwarn("$prefix() is deprecated, use $prefix(0, 0) instead.", :zero_arg_matrix_constructor)
+function (::Type{Matrix{T}}){T}()
+    zero_arg_matrix_constructor("Matrix{T}")
+    return Matrix{T}(0, 0)
+end
+function (::Type{Matrix})()
+    zero_arg_matrix_constructor("Matrix")
+    return Matrix(0, 0)
+end
+
 for name in ("alnum", "alpha", "cntrl", "digit", "number", "graph",
              "lower", "print", "punct", "space", "upper", "xdigit")
     f = Symbol("is",name)
diff --git a/base/sysimg.jl b/base/sysimg.jl
index 5a42220deb2cb..7c875a64e330f 100644
--- a/base/sysimg.jl
+++ b/base/sysimg.jl
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ include("subarray.jl")
 (::Type{Vector})() = Array{Any,1}(0)
 (::Type{Vector{T}}){T}(m::Integer) = Array{T,1}(Int(m))
 (::Type{Vector})(m::Integer) = Array{Any,1}(Int(m))
-(::Type{Matrix})() = Array{Any,2}(0, 0)
 (::Type{Matrix{T}}){T}(m::Integer, n::Integer) = Matrix{T}(Int(m), Int(n))
 (::Type{Matrix})(m::Integer, n::Integer) = Matrix{Any}(Int(m), Int(n))
 
diff --git a/test/arrayops.jl b/test/arrayops.jl
index 2deedafaaca68..96f212198152c 100644
--- a/test/arrayops.jl
+++ b/test/arrayops.jl
@@ -271,18 +271,30 @@ end
     @test typeof(Vector(3)) == Vector{Any}
     @test typeof(Vector()) == Vector{Any}
     @test typeof(Matrix{Int}(2,3)) == Matrix{Int}
-    @test typeof(Matrix{Int}()) == Matrix{Int}
     @test typeof(Matrix(2,3)) == Matrix{Any}
-    @test typeof(Matrix()) == Matrix{Any}
 
     @test size(Vector{Int}(3)) == (3,)
     @test size(Vector{Int}()) == (0,)
     @test size(Vector(3)) == (3,)
     @test size(Vector()) == (0,)
     @test size(Matrix{Int}(2,3)) == (2,3)
-    @test size(Matrix{Int}()) == (0,0)
     @test size(Matrix(2,3)) == (2,3)
-    @test size(Matrix()) == (0,0)
+
+    # TODO: will throw MethodError after 0.6 deprecations are deleted
+    dw = Base.JLOptions().depwarn
+    if dw == 2
+        @test_throws ErrorException Matrix{Int}()
+        @test_throws ErrorException Matrix()
+    elseif dw == 1
+        @test_warn "deprecated" Matrix{Int}()
+        @test_warn "deprecated" Matrix()
+    elseif dw == 0
+        @test size(Matrix{Int}()) == (0,0)
+        @test size(Matrix()) == (0,0)
+    else
+        error("unexpected depwarn value")
+    end
+    @test_throws MethodError Array{Int,3}()
 end
 @testset "get" begin
     A = reshape(1:24, 3, 8)