diff --git a/rich/cells.py b/rich/cells.py
index 15fe7b65cd..8a03791ecd 100644
--- a/rich/cells.py
+++ b/rich/cells.py
@@ -140,7 +140,10 @@ def _cell_len(text: str, unicode_version: str) -> int:
     for character in iter_characters:
         if character in SPECIAL:
             if character == "\u200d":
-                next(iter_characters)
+                try:
+                    next(iter_characters)
+                except StopIteration:
+                    break
             elif last_measured_character:
                 total_width += last_measured_character in cell_table.narrow_to_wide
                 last_measured_character = None
diff --git a/tests/test_zwj_cell_len.py b/tests/test_zwj_cell_len.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3c40fabfa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_zwj_cell_len.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from rich.cells import cell_len
+
+
+def test_cell_len_zwj_does_not_raise() -> None:
+    cell_len("\u200d")
+    cell_len("a\u200d")
+    cell_len("a\u200d\n b")
+    cell_len("a\u200d b(")