diff --git a/requests/exceptions.py b/requests/exceptions.py
index c8ec089f..a4ee9d63 100644
--- a/requests/exceptions.py
+++ b/requests/exceptions.py
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ class RequestException(IOError):
         response = kwargs.pop('response', None)
         self.response = response
         self.request = kwargs.pop('request', None)
-        if response and not self.request and hasattr(response, 'request'):
+        if (response is not None and not self.request and
+                hasattr(response, 'request')):
             self.request = self.response.request
         super(RequestException, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)