diff --git a/Lib/test/test_minidom.py b/Lib/test/test_minidom.py
index d9d3be4..97668d3 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_minidom.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_minidom.py
@@ -1489,6 +1489,13 @@
         doc.appendChild(doc.createComment("foo--bar"))
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, doc.toxml)
 
+    def testEmptyXMLNSValue(self):
+        doc = parseString("<element xmlns=''>\n"
+                          "<foo/>\n</element>")
+        doc2 = parseString(doc.toxml())
+        self.confirm(doc2.namespaceURI == xml.dom.EMPTY_NAMESPACE)
+
+
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(MinidomTest)
 
diff --git a/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py b/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py
index 1beae0c..81a1330 100644
--- a/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py
+++ b/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py
@@ -301,9 +301,10 @@
 
 def _write_data(writer, data):
     "Writes datachars to writer."
-    data = data.replace("&", "&amp;").replace("<", "&lt;")
-    data = data.replace("\"", "&quot;").replace(">", "&gt;")
-    writer.write(data)
+    if data:
+        data = data.replace("&", "&amp;").replace("<", "&lt;"). \
+                    replace("\"", "&quot;").replace(">", "&gt;")
+        writer.write(data)
 
 def _get_elements_by_tagName_helper(parent, name, rc):
     for node in parent.childNodes: