diff --git a/src/flint/fmpz_poly.jl b/src/flint/fmpz_poly.jl
index 8dd3700db..47ea58480 100644
--- a/src/flint/fmpz_poly.jl
+++ b/src/flint/fmpz_poly.jl
@@ -875,7 +875,13 @@ function sub!(z::ZZPolyRingElemOrPtr, x::ZZPolyRingElemOrPtr, y::ZZPolyRingElemO
 end
 
 function sub!(z::ZZPolyRingElemOrPtr, x::ZZPolyRingElemOrPtr, y::ZZRingElemOrPtr)
-  @ccall libflint.fmpz_poly_sub_fmpz(z::Ref{ZZPolyRingElem}, x::Ref{ZZPolyRingElem}, y::Ref{ZZRingElem})::Nothing
+  if is_zero(y)
+    # HACK HACK HACK: workaround a crash in fmpz_poly_sub_fmpz when subtracting
+    # 0 from a zero polynomial; see https://github.com/flintlib/flint/pull/2102
+    set!(z, x)
+  else
+    @ccall libflint.fmpz_poly_sub_fmpz(z::Ref{ZZPolyRingElem}, x::Ref{ZZPolyRingElem}, y::Ref{ZZRingElem})::Nothing
+  end
   return z
 end
 
diff --git a/test/flint/fmpz_poly-test.jl b/test/flint/fmpz_poly-test.jl
index 8c6b32fdc..2c61d6afe 100644
--- a/test/flint/fmpz_poly-test.jl
+++ b/test/flint/fmpz_poly-test.jl
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ end
   @test 12 - g == -x^3-3*x+10
 
   @test ZZRingElem(12) - g == -x^3-3*x+10
+
+  # verify bugfix (used to crash)
+  @test is_zero(zero(R) - ZZ(0))
 end
 
 @testset "ZZPolyRingElem.comparison" begin