diff --git a/src/lib/template/template.go b/src/lib/template/template.go
index fbffa9562b6..f81ac0adaf2 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/template.go
+++ b/src/lib/template/template.go
@@ -308,6 +308,8 @@ func empty(v reflect.Value, indirect_ok bool) bool {
 		return true
 	}
 	switch v.Type().Kind() {
+	case reflect.StringKind:
+		return v.(reflect.StringValue).Get() == "";
 	case reflect.StructKind:
 		return false;
 	case reflect.ArrayKind:
diff --git a/src/lib/template/template_test.go b/src/lib/template/template_test.go
index 2124e8d95a5..aab0c9cc6e0 100644
--- a/src/lib/template/template_test.go
+++ b/src/lib/template/template_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type S struct {
 	data []T;
 	pdata []*T;
 	empty []*T;
+	emptystring string;
 	null []*T;
 }
 
@@ -162,14 +163,21 @@ var tests = []*Test {
 		"HEADER=78\n"
 		"Header=77\n"
 	},
-	
+
 	&Test{
 		"{raw}\n"
 		"{raw|html}\n",
-		
+
 		"&<>!@ #$%^\n"
 		"&amp;&lt;&gt;!@ #$%^\n"
 	},
+
+	&Test{
+		"{.section emptystring}emptystring{.end}\n"
+		"{.section header}header{.end}\n",
+
+		"\nheader\n"
+	},
 }
 
 func TestAll(t *testing.T) {