diff --git a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigClientsHandler.java b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigClientsHandler.java
index 18005a83e..a1204f393 100644
--- a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigClientsHandler.java
+++ b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigClientsHandler.java
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public class ConfigClientsHandler extends FormHandler {
 
         int newClient = clients.size();
         String newDesc = getString("desc" + newClient);
-        if (newDesc != null) {
+        if (newDesc != null && newDesc.trim().length() > 0) {
             // new entry
             int spc = newDesc.indexOf(" ");
             String clss = newDesc;
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class ConfigClientsHandler extends FormHandler {
                 args = newDesc.substring(spc + 1);
             }
             String name = getString("name" + newClient);
-            if (name == null) name = "new client";
+            if (name == null || name.trim().length() <= 0) name = "new client";
             ClientAppConfig ca = new ClientAppConfig(clss, name, args, 2*60*1000,
                                                      _settings.get(newClient + ".enabled") != null);
             clients.add(ca);
diff --git a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigClientsHelper.java b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigClientsHelper.java
index b6d253745..acef26f72 100644
--- a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigClientsHelper.java
+++ b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/ConfigClientsHelper.java
@@ -79,10 +79,12 @@ public class ConfigClientsHelper extends HelperBase {
             buf.append("<a href=\"").append(link).append("\">").append(_(name)).append("</a>");
         } else if (edit && !ro) {
             buf.append("<input type=\"text\" name=\"name").append(index).append("\" value=\"");
-            buf.append(_(name));
+            if (name.length() > 0)
+                buf.append(_(name));
             buf.append("\" >");
         } else {
-            buf.append(_(name));
+            if (name.length() > 0)
+                buf.append(_(name));
         }
         buf.append("</td><td align=\"center\" width=\"10%\"><input type=\"checkbox\" class=\"optbox\" name=\"").append(index).append(".enabled\" value=\"true\" ");
         if (enabled) {
diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/Translate.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/Translate.java
index 4ff97437d..c9072b62f 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/Translate.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/Translate.java
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ public abstract class Translate {
             return key;
         else if (lang.equals(TEST_LANG))
             return TEST_STRING;
+        // shouldnt happen but dont dump the po headers if it does
+        if (key.equals(""))
+            return key;
         ResourceBundle bundle = findBundle(bun, lang);
         if (bundle == null)
             return key;