diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/formats.c b/src/fe-common/core/formats.c
index 4c819c2d..f7466337 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/formats.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/formats.c
@@ -1233,6 +1233,13 @@ void format_send_to_gui(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, const char *text)
 	dup = str = g_strdup(text);
 
 	flags = 0; fgcolor = theme->default_color; bgcolor = -1;
+
+	if (*str == '\0') {
+		/* empty line, write line info only */
+		signal_emit_id(signal_gui_print_text, 6, dest->window, GINT_TO_POINTER(fgcolor),
+		               GINT_TO_POINTER(bgcolor), GINT_TO_POINTER(flags), str, dest);
+	}
+
 	while (*str != '\0') {
 		type = '\0';
 		for (ptr = str; *ptr != '\0'; ptr++) {
diff --git a/src/fe-text/gui-printtext.c b/src/fe-text/gui-printtext.c
index 83a36f14..f860dc1c 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/gui-printtext.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/gui-printtext.c
@@ -307,9 +307,15 @@ static void sig_gui_print_text(WINDOW_REC *window, void *fgcolor,
 	}
 	textbuffer_line_add_colors(view->buffer, &insert_after, fg, bg, flags);
 
-	insert_after = textbuffer_insert(view->buffer, insert_after,
-					 (unsigned char *) str,
-					 strlen(str), &lineinfo);
+	/* for historical reasons, the \n will set
+	   GUI_PRINT_FLAG_NEWLINE and print an empty string. in this
+	   special case, ignore the empty string which would otherwise
+	   start another new line */
+	if (~flags & GUI_PRINT_FLAG_NEWLINE || *str != '\0') {
+		insert_after = textbuffer_insert(view->buffer, insert_after, (unsigned char *) str,
+		                                 strlen(str), &lineinfo);
+	}
+
 	if (gui->use_insert_after)
                 gui->insert_after = insert_after;
 }
diff --git a/src/fe-text/textbuffer.c b/src/fe-text/textbuffer.c
index 01cdd118..5f9e68ad 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/textbuffer.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/textbuffer.c
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ static LINE_REC *textbuffer_line_create(TEXT_BUFFER_REC *buffer)
 	if (buffer->cur_text == NULL)
                 text_chunk_create(buffer);
 
-	rec = g_slice_new(LINE_REC);
+	rec = g_slice_new0(LINE_REC);
 	rec->text = buffer->cur_text->buffer + buffer->cur_text->pos;
 
 	buffer->cur_text->refcount++;
@@ -333,8 +333,9 @@ void textbuffer_line_add_colors(TEXT_BUFFER_REC *buffer, LINE_REC **line,
 		data[pos++] = LINE_CMD_INDENT;
 	}
 
-        if (pos > 0)
+	if (pos > 0) {
 		*line = textbuffer_insert(buffer, *line, data, pos, NULL);
+	}
 
 	buffer->last_flags = flags;
 }
@@ -355,9 +356,6 @@ LINE_REC *textbuffer_insert(TEXT_BUFFER_REC *buffer, LINE_REC *insert_after,
 	g_return_val_if_fail(buffer != NULL, NULL);
 	g_return_val_if_fail(data != NULL, NULL);
 
-	if (len == 0)
-                return insert_after;
-
 	line = !buffer->last_eol ? insert_after :
 		textbuffer_line_insert(buffer, insert_after);