diff --git a/internal/test_unit/config/TCStatConfig_ALAL2010 b/internal/test_unit/config/TCStatConfig_ALAL2010
index 05bf63a7a1..46b630969d 100644
--- a/internal/test_unit/config/TCStatConfig_ALAL2010
+++ b/internal/test_unit/config/TCStatConfig_ALAL2010
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ jobs = [
    "-job filter  -amodel AHWI  -rirw_track BDECK -rirw_thresh <=-30 -rirw_exact TRUE  -dump_row ${MET_TEST_OUTPUT}/tc_stat/ALAL2010_AHWI_rw.tcst",
    "-job rirw                  -rirw_window 00   -rirw_thresh <=-15 -out_line_type CTC,CTS,MPR",
    "-job rirw                  -rirw_window 12   -rirw_thresh <=-15 -out_line_type CTC,CTS,MPR",
-   "-job rirw                  -rirw_window 12   -rirw_thresh <=-15 -out_line_type CTC,CTS -out_stat ${MET_TEST_OUTPUT}/tc_stat/ALAL2010_rirw.stat"
+   "-job rirw                  -rirw_window 12   -rirw_thresh <=-15 -out_line_type CTC,CTS -by amodel -out_stat ${MET_TEST_OUTPUT}/tc_stat/ALAL2010_rirw.stat"
 ];
 
 //
diff --git a/src/libcode/vx_statistics/contable_stats.cc b/src/libcode/vx_statistics/contable_stats.cc
index 02aa6dfbbb..9df41040a0 100644
--- a/src/libcode/vx_statistics/contable_stats.cc
+++ b/src/libcode/vx_statistics/contable_stats.cc
@@ -811,14 +811,11 @@ if ( Nrows != Ncols )  {
 
 const int N = total();
 
-if ( N == 0 )  {
-
-   mlog << Error << "\nContingencyTable::gheidke() -> "
-        << "table empty!\n\n";
-
-   exit ( 1 );
+   //
+   //  MET #2542: return bad data for empty tables rather than erroring out
+   //
 
-}
+if ( N == 0 ) return ( bad_data_double );
 
 const double DN = (double) N;
 int j, k, m, n;
@@ -912,14 +909,11 @@ if ( ec_value < 0.0 || ec_value >= 1.0 )  {
 
 const int N = total();
 
-if ( N == 0 )  {
-
-   mlog << Error << "\nContingencyTable::gheidke_ec(double) -> "
-        << "table empty!\n\n";
-
-   exit ( 1 );
+   //
+   //  MET #2542: return bad data for empty tables rather than erroring out
+   //
 
-}
+if ( N == 0 ) return ( bad_data_double );
 
 int j, sum;
 double num, denom, ans;
@@ -977,14 +971,11 @@ if ( Nrows != Ncols )  {
 
 const int N = total();
 
-if ( N == 0 )  {
-
-   mlog << Error << "\nContingencyTable::gkuiper() -> "
-        << "table empty!\n\n";
-
-   exit ( 1 );
+   //
+   //  MET #2542: return bad data for empty tables rather than erroring out
+   //
 
-}
+if ( N == 0 ) return ( bad_data_double );
 
 const double DN = (double) N;
 int j, k, m, n;
@@ -1077,14 +1068,11 @@ if ( Nrows != Ncols )  {
 
 const int N = total();
 
-if ( N == 0 )  {
-
-   mlog << Error << "\nContingencyTable::gerrity() -> "
-        << "table empty!\n\n";
-
-   exit ( 1 );
+   //
+   //  MET #2542: return bad data for empty tables rather than erroring out
+   //
 
-}
+if ( N == 0 ) return ( bad_data_double );
 
 int j, k, m, n;
 const double DN = (double) N;