diff --git a/src/rapidxml_loader.cpp b/src/rapidxml_loader.cpp
index a11064f3e..016068fa2 100644
--- a/src/rapidxml_loader.cpp
+++ b/src/rapidxml_loader.cpp
@@ -141,7 +141,10 @@ private:
         case rapidxml::node_data:
         case rapidxml::node_cdata:
         {
-            node.add_child(cur_node->value(), 0, true);
+            if (cur_node->value_size() > 0) // Don't add empty text nodes
+            {
+                node.add_child(cur_node->value(), 0, true);
+            }
         }
         break;
         default:
diff --git a/tests/data/good_maps/empty_text_symbolizer.xml b/tests/data/good_maps/empty_text_symbolizer.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1582583ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/good_maps/empty_text_symbolizer.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<Map srs="+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over" background-color="steelblue" minimum-version="0.7.2">
+
+    <Style name="labels">
+        <Rule>
+            <TextSymbolizer face-name="DejaVu Sans Book"></TextSymbolizer>
+            <TextSymbolizer face-name="DejaVu Sans Book">''</TextSymbolizer>
+            <TextSymbolizer face-name="DejaVu Sans Book"><![CDATA[]]></TextSymbolizer>
+        </Rule>
+    </Style>
+
+    <Layer name="point" srs="+proj=longlat +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +no_defs">
+        <StyleName>labels</StyleName>
+    </Layer>
+    
+</Map>
\ No newline at end of file