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

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

		{
			XML.prettyPrinting = false;
			var childNode : XML = node.children()[0];
			var state : Object = {nodeIsEmpty : false};
			while (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)
