diff --git a/Objects/stringobject.c b/Objects/stringobject.c
index e37b579..9e2673d 100644
--- a/Objects/stringobject.c
+++ b/Objects/stringobject.c
@@ -1212,11 +1212,21 @@
     if (a->ob_shash != -1)
         return a->ob_shash;
     len = Py_SIZE(a);
+    /*
+      We make the hash of the empty string be 0, rather than using
+      (prefix ^ suffix), since this slightly obfuscates the hash secret
+    */
+    if (len == 0) {
+        a->ob_shash = 0;
+        return 0;
+    }
     p = (unsigned char *) a->ob_sval;
-    x = *p << 7;
+    x = _Py_HashSecret.prefix;
+    x ^= *p << 7;
     while (--len >= 0)
         x = (1000003*x) ^ *p++;
     x ^= Py_SIZE(a);
+    x ^= _Py_HashSecret.suffix;
     if (x == -1)
         x = -2;
     a->ob_shash = x;