diff --git a/namedev_parse.c b/namedev_parse.c
index 4bb1a97ce9..7e37833202 100644
--- a/namedev_parse.c
+++ b/namedev_parse.c
@@ -182,15 +182,13 @@ static int namedev_parse_rules(char *filename)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		/* empty line? */
-		if (bufline[0] == '\0' || bufline[0] == '\n')
-			continue;
-
 		/* eat the whitespace */
-		while (isspace(bufline[0])) {
+		while ((count > 0) && isspace(bufline[0])) {
 			bufline++;
 			count--;
 		}
+		if (count == 0)
+			continue;
 
 		/* see if this is a comment */
 		if (bufline[0] == COMMENT_CHARACTER)
@@ -381,15 +379,13 @@ static int namedev_parse_permissions(char *filename)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		/* empty line? */
-		if (bufline[0] == '\0' || bufline[0] == '\n')
-			continue;
-
 		/* eat the whitespace */
-		while (isspace(bufline[0])) {
+		while ((count > 0) && isspace(bufline[0])) {
 			bufline++;
 			count--;
 		}
+		if (count == 0)
+			continue;
 
 		/* see if this is a comment */
 		if (bufline[0] == COMMENT_CHARACTER)
diff --git a/test/udev-test.pl b/test/udev-test.pl
index 1e7c51e556..9feb28a7ba 100644
--- a/test/udev-test.pl
+++ b/test/udev-test.pl
@@ -158,6 +158,22 @@ EOF
  # this is a comment with whitespace before the comment 
 KERNEL="ttyUSB0", NAME="visor"
 
+EOF
+	},
+	{
+		desc		=> "Handle whitespace only lines (and replace kernel name)",
+		subsys		=> "tty",
+		devpath		=> "/class/tty/ttyUSB0",
+		exp_name	=> "whitespace" ,
+		conf		=> <<EOF
+
+ 
+
+ # this is a comment with whitespace before the comment 
+KERNEL="ttyUSB0", NAME="whitespace"
+
+ 
+
 EOF
 	},
 	{
diff --git a/udev_config.c b/udev_config.c
index 20b6c75d32..ba2b3d2b88 100644
--- a/udev_config.c
+++ b/udev_config.c
@@ -161,15 +161,13 @@ static int parse_config_file(void)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		/* empty line? */
-		if (bufline[0] == '\0' || bufline[0] == '\n')
-			continue;
-
 		/* eat the whitespace */
-		while (isspace(bufline[0])) {
+		while ((count > 0) && isspace(bufline[0])) {
 			bufline++;
 			count--;
 		}
+		if (count == 0)
+			continue;
 
 		/* see if this is a comment */
 		if (bufline[0] == COMMENT_CHARACTER)