diff --git a/src/wp-includes/comment.php b/src/wp-includes/comment.php
index fb501142e8..76715f5f1f 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/comment.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/comment.php
@@ -355,9 +355,6 @@ class WP_Comment_Query {
 			$statuses = preg_split( '/[\s,]+/', $statuses );
 		}
 
-		// Remove empty statuses.
-		$statuses = array_filter( $statuses );
-
 		// 'any' overrides other statuses.
 		if ( ! in_array( 'any', $statuses ) ) {
 			foreach ( $statuses as $status ) {
@@ -371,6 +368,7 @@ class WP_Comment_Query {
 						break;
 
 					case 'all' :
+					case '' :
 						$status_clauses[] = "( comment_approved = '0' OR comment_approved = '1' )";
 						break;
 
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/comment/query.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/comment/query.php
index 07f4822ca6..84073b1ed9 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/comment/query.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/comment/query.php
@@ -15,6 +15,23 @@ class Tests_Comment_Query extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$this->post_id = $this->factory->post->create();
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 29612
+	 */
+	public function test_status_empty_string() {
+		$c1 = $this->factory->comment->create( array( 'comment_post_ID' => $this->post_id, 'comment_approved' => '1' ) );
+		$c2 = $this->factory->comment->create( array( 'comment_post_ID' => $this->post_id, 'comment_approved' => '0' ) );
+		$c3 = $this->factory->comment->create( array( 'comment_post_ID' => $this->post_id, 'comment_approved' => 'spam' ) );
+
+		$q = new WP_Comment_Query();
+		$found = $q->query( array(
+			'status' => '',
+			'fields' => 'ids',
+		) );
+
+		$this->assertEqualSets( array( $c1, $c2 ), $found );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 21101
 	 */