diff --git a/flecs.c b/flecs.c
index 589e45e010..d3734fe89d 100644
--- a/flecs.c
+++ b/flecs.c
@@ -44155,6 +44155,10 @@ const char* meta_parse_member(
         goto error;
     }
 
+    if (!ptr[0]) {
+        return ptr;        
+    }
+
     /* Next token is the identifier */
     ptr = parse_c_identifier(ptr, token->name, NULL, ctx);
     if (!ptr) {
diff --git a/src/addons/meta_c.c b/src/addons/meta_c.c
index 30090b6ad0..3a1397d575 100644
--- a/src/addons/meta_c.c
+++ b/src/addons/meta_c.c
@@ -319,6 +319,10 @@ const char* meta_parse_member(
         goto error;
     }
 
+    if (!ptr[0]) {
+        return ptr;        
+    }
+
     /* Next token is the identifier */
     ptr = parse_c_identifier(ptr, token->name, NULL, ctx);
     if (!ptr) {
diff --git a/test/meta/project.json b/test/meta/project.json
index 2c73e2c89c..8b97876960 100644
--- a/test/meta/project.json
+++ b/test/meta/project.json
@@ -800,7 +800,8 @@
                 "enum_nospace",
                 "struct_nospace",
                 "identifier_w_underscore",
-                "struct_w_ptr"
+                "struct_w_ptr",
+                "private_members"
             ]
         }, {
             "id": "Vars",
diff --git a/test/meta/src/MetaUtils.c b/test/meta/src/MetaUtils.c
index bc276650ad..7a64fb765d 100644
--- a/test/meta/src/MetaUtils.c
+++ b/test/meta/src/MetaUtils.c
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ ECS_STRUCT(Struct_w_ptrs, {
     void* ptr_b;
 });
 
+ECS_STRUCT(Struct_w_private, {
+    double x;
+    double y;
+ECS_PRIVATE
+    double z;
+});
+
 ECS_ENUM(Enum_Default, {
     Red, Green, Blue
 });
@@ -388,3 +395,27 @@ void MetaUtils_struct_w_ptr() {
 
     ecs_fini(world);
 }
+
+void MetaUtils_private_members() {
+    ecs_world_t *world = ecs_init();
+
+    ECS_META_COMPONENT(world, Struct_w_private);
+
+    test_assert(ecs_id(Struct_w_private) != 0);
+    ecs_entity_t s = ecs_id(Struct_w_private);
+
+    {
+        ecs_entity_t m = ecs_lookup_child(world, s, "x");
+        test_assert(m != 0);
+    }
+    {
+        ecs_entity_t m = ecs_lookup_child(world, s, "y");
+        test_assert(m != 0);
+    }
+    {
+        ecs_entity_t m = ecs_lookup_child(world, s, "z");
+        test_assert(m == 0);
+    }
+
+    ecs_fini(world);
+}
diff --git a/test/meta/src/main.c b/test/meta/src/main.c
index 4b8193a7f7..5285a629f8 100644
--- a/test/meta/src/main.c
+++ b/test/meta/src/main.c
@@ -766,6 +766,7 @@ void MetaUtils_enum_nospace(void);
 void MetaUtils_struct_nospace(void);
 void MetaUtils_identifier_w_underscore(void);
 void MetaUtils_struct_w_ptr(void);
+void MetaUtils_private_members(void);
 
 // Testsuite 'Vars'
 void Vars_declare_1_var(void);
@@ -3851,6 +3852,10 @@ bake_test_case MetaUtils_testcases[] = {
     {
         "struct_w_ptr",
         MetaUtils_struct_w_ptr
+    },
+    {
+        "private_members",
+        MetaUtils_private_members
     }
 };
 
@@ -4473,7 +4478,7 @@ static bake_test_suite suites[] = {
         "MetaUtils",
         NULL,
         NULL,
-        17,
+        18,
         MetaUtils_testcases
     },
     {