 			// Set the _textField's text so that we can measure based on
 			// the textWidths
 			//
-			if(!_textField) return;
+			if(!_textField || !_text) return;
 			_textField.text = _text;
 			if(isNaN(this._explicitWidth) && isNaN(this._percentWidth) && isNaN(_percentUnusedWidth))
 			{

			_textField = new TextField();
			setTextFieldProperties()
			addChild(_textField);
			
			if(_format){
				_textField.defaultTextFormat = _format;
			}
			if(_text){
				_textField.text = _text
			}

package org.openPyro.controls
{
	import flash.text.TextField;
	import flash.text.TextFormat;
	
	import org.openPyro.core.UIControl;
	import org.openPyro.utils.StringUtil;
	
	public class Label extends UIControl
	{
