 		{
 			XML.prettyPrinting = false;
 			var childNode : XML = node.children()[0];
+			var state : Object = {nodeIsEmpty : false};
 			while (childNode)
 			{
-				childNode = preprocessTextNode(childNode);
+				childNode = preprocessTextNode(childNode, state);
+				if (state.nodeIsEmpty)
+				{
+					childNode = childNode.parent().children()[childNode.childIndex() + 1];
+					state.nodeIsEmpty = false;
+					continue;
+				}
 				var child : UIComponent = 
 					m_rootElement.uiRendererFactory().rendererByNode(childNode);
 				if (child)

			}
		}
		
		protected function preprocessTextNode(node : XML) : XML
		{
			var textNodeTags : String = UIRendererFactory.TEXTNODE_TAGS;
			if (textNodeTags.indexOf(node.localName() + ",") == -1)

			xmlParser.setChildren(nodesToCombine);
			siblings[node.childIndex()] = xmlParser;
			XML.ignoreWhitespace = true;
			if (state && xmlParser.text().toString().search(/\S/g) == -1)
			{
				state.nodeIsEmpty = true;
			}
			return xmlParser;
		}
		
