diff --git a/crates/shadowsocks/src/relay/mod.rs b/crates/shadowsocks/src/relay/mod.rs
index 49d40ada..66b65d10 100644
--- a/crates/shadowsocks/src/relay/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/shadowsocks/src/relay/mod.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ pub mod udprelay;
 const AEAD2022_MAX_PADDING_SIZE: usize = 900;
 
 /// Get a properly AEAD 2022 padding size according to payload's length
+///
+/// SIP022: In a request header, either initial payload or padding MUST be present.
+/// When making a request header, if payload is not available, add non-zero random length padding.
+/// https://shadowsocks.org/doc/sip022.html
 #[cfg(feature = "aead-cipher-2022")]
 fn get_aead_2022_padding_size(payload: &[u8]) -> usize {
     use std::cell::RefCell;
@@ -22,8 +26,32 @@ fn get_aead_2022_padding_size(payload: &[u8]) -> usize {
     }
 
     if payload.is_empty() {
-        PADDING_RNG.with(|rng| rng.borrow_mut().random_range::<usize, _>(0..=AEAD2022_MAX_PADDING_SIZE))
+        // A padding size of 0 with an empty payload would be rejected by servers
+        // (and is a violation of the AEAD-2022 spec), so the range starts from 1.
+        PADDING_RNG.with(|rng| rng.borrow_mut().random_range::<usize, _>(1..=AEAD2022_MAX_PADDING_SIZE))
     } else {
         0
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(feature = "aead-cipher-2022")]
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_aead_2022_padding_size() {
+        // Non-empty payload needs no padding
+        assert_eq!(get_aead_2022_padding_size(b"payload"), 0);
+
+        // Empty payload MUST take a non-zero random padding size
+        // https://github.com/shadowsocks/shadowsocks-rust/issues/2184
+        for _ in 0..10000 {
+            let padding_size = get_aead_2022_padding_size(b"");
+            assert!(
+                (1..=AEAD2022_MAX_PADDING_SIZE).contains(&padding_size),
+                "padding size {padding_size} should be within 1..={AEAD2022_MAX_PADDING_SIZE}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/shadowsocks/tests/tcp.rs b/crates/shadowsocks/tests/tcp.rs
index 4ae6e1c3..1a6c7325 100644
--- a/crates/shadowsocks/tests/tcp.rs
+++ b/crates/shadowsocks/tests/tcp.rs
@@ -199,6 +199,45 @@ async fn tcp_tunnel_aead_2022_aes() {
     .unwrap();
 }
 
+// https://github.com/shadowsocks/shadowsocks-rust/issues/2184
+//
+// Clients that trigger the handshake with an empty write (server-first protocols) must not
+// generate a header with no payload and padding 0, which servers MUST reject according to
+// the AEAD-2022 spec (SIP022).
+#[cfg(feature = "aead-cipher-2022")]
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn tcp_aead_2022_handshake_with_empty_payload() {
+    let _ = env_logger::try_init();
+
+    const PASSWORD: &str = "3L69X4PF2eSL/JSLkoWnXg==";
+    let method = CipherKind::AEAD2022_BLAKE3_AES_128_GCM;
+
+    let target_addr = Address::from(("www.example.com".to_owned(), 80));
+
+    let svr_cfg = Arc::new(
+        ServerConfig::new("127.0.0.1:34001".parse::<SocketAddr>().unwrap(), PASSWORD, method).unwrap(),
+    );
+
+    let ctx_server = Context::new_shared(ServerType::Server);
+    let ctx_local = Context::new_shared(ServerType::Local);
+
+    for _ in 0..1000 {
+        let (client_side, server_side) = tokio::io::duplex(64 * 1024);
+
+        let mut server = ProxyServerStream::from_stream(ctx_server.clone(), server_side, method, svr_cfg.key());
+        let mut client =
+            ProxyClientStream::from_stream(ctx_local.clone(), client_side, &svr_cfg, target_addr.clone());
+
+        // NOTE: write_all(&[]) would be a no-op, so call write() directly
+        // to trigger the handshake with an empty first payload.
+        let n = client.write(&[]).await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(n, 0);
+
+        let addr = server.handshake().await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(addr, target_addr);
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(feature = "aead-cipher-2022")]
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn tcp_tunnel_aead_2022_chacha20() {