Index: wp-includes/comment.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/comment.php	(revision 23702)
+++ wp-includes/comment.php	(working copy)
@@ -786,12 +786,12 @@
 	if ( null === $comments && null === $per_page && null === $threaded && !empty($wp_query->max_num_comment_pages) )
 		return $wp_query->max_num_comment_pages;
 
-	if ( !$comments || !is_array($comments) )
+	if ( empty($comments) || !is_array($comments) ) {
+		if (empty( $wp_query->comments ) )
+			return 0;
 		$comments = $wp_query->comments;
+	}
 
-	if ( empty($comments) )
-		return 0;
-
 	if ( !isset($per_page) )
 		$per_page = (int) get_query_var('comments_per_page');
 	if ( 0 === $per_page )