diff --git a/homeassistant/components/notify/pushbullet.py b/homeassistant/components/notify/pushbullet.py
index 6d97d544905..353e833ae51 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/notify/pushbullet.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/notify/pushbullet.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class PushBulletNotificationService(BaseNotificationService):
 
         if not targets:
             # Backward compatibility, notify all devices in own account
-            self._push_data(filepath, message, title, url)
+            self._push_data(filepath, message, title, self.pushbullet, url)
             _LOGGER.info("Sent notification to self")
             return
 
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ class PushBulletNotificationService(BaseNotificationService):
             # Target is email, send directly, don't use a target object
             # This also seems works to send to all devices in own account
             if ttype == 'email':
-                self._push_data(filepath, message, title, url, tname)
+                self._push_data(filepath, message, title, url,
+                                self.pushbullet, tname)
                 _LOGGER.info("Sent notification to email %s", tname)
                 continue
 
@@ -123,27 +124,27 @@ class PushBulletNotificationService(BaseNotificationService):
             # Attempt push_note on a dict value. Keys are types & target
             # name. Dict pbtargets has all *actual* targets.
             try:
-                if url:
-                    self.pbtargets[ttype][tname].push_link(
-                        title, url, body=message)
-                else:
-                    self.pbtargets[ttype][tname].push_note(title, message)
+                self._push_data(filepath, message, title, url,
+                                self.pbtargets[ttype][tname])
                 _LOGGER.info("Sent notification to %s/%s", ttype, tname)
             except KeyError:
                 _LOGGER.error("No such target: %s/%s", ttype, tname)
                 continue
-            except self.pushbullet.errors.PushError:
-                _LOGGER.error("Notify failed to: %s/%s", ttype, tname)
-                continue
 
-    def _push_data(self, filepath, message, title, url, tname=None):
-        if url:
-            self.pushbullet.push_link(
-                title, url, body=message, email=tname)
-        elif filepath and self.hass.config.is_allowed_path(filepath):
-            with open(filepath, "rb") as fileh:
-                filedata = self.pushbullet.upload_file(fileh, filepath)
-                self.pushbullet.push_file(title=title, body=message,
-                                          **filedata)
-        else:
-            self.pushbullet.push_note(title, message, email=tname)
+    def _push_data(self, filepath, message, title, url, pusher, tname=None):
+        from pushbullet import PushError
+        try:
+            if url:
+                pusher.push_link(title, url, body=message, email=tname)
+            elif filepath and self.hass.config.is_allowed_path(filepath):
+                with open(filepath, "rb") as fileh:
+                    filedata = self.pushbullet.upload_file(fileh, filepath)
+                    if filedata.get('file_type') == 'application/x-empty':
+                        _LOGGER.error("Failed to send an empty file.")
+                        return
+                    pusher.push_file(title=title, body=message, **filedata)
+            else:
+                pusher.push_note(title, message, email=tname)
+
+        except PushError as err:
+            _LOGGER.error("Notify failed: %s", err)