diff --git a/src/static/js/chat.js b/src/static/js/chat.js
index 01adc34e..4699d444 100644
--- a/src/static/js/chat.js
+++ b/src/static/js/chat.js
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ var chat = (function()
     send: function()
     {
       var text = $("#chatinput").val();
+      if(text.trim().length == 0)
+        return;
       this._pad.collabClient.sendMessage({"type": "CHAT_MESSAGE", "text": text});
       $("#chatinput").val("");
     },
diff --git a/tests/frontend/specs/keystroke_chat.js b/tests/frontend/specs/keystroke_chat.js
index d6a7d2fd..060c5aa2 100644
--- a/tests/frontend/specs/keystroke_chat.js
+++ b/tests/frontend/specs/keystroke_chat.js
@@ -36,4 +36,31 @@ describe("send chat message", function(){
     });
 
   });
+
+  it("makes sure that an empty message can't be sent", function(done) {
+    var inner$ = helper.padInner$; 
+    var chrome$ = helper.padChrome$; 
+	
+    //click on the chat button to make chat visible
+    var $chatButton = chrome$("#chaticon");
+    $chatButton.click();
+    var $chatInput = chrome$("#chatinput");
+    $chatInput.sendkeys('{enter}'); // simulate a keypress of enter (to send an empty message)
+    $chatInput.sendkeys('mluto'); // simulate a keypress of typing mluto
+    $chatInput.sendkeys('{enter}'); // simulate a keypress of enter (to send 'mluto')
+
+    //check if chat shows up
+    helper.waitFor(function(){
+      return chrome$("#chattext").children("p").length !== 0; // wait until the chat message shows up
+    }).done(function(){
+      // check that the empty message is not there
+      expect(chrome$("#chattext").children("p").length).to.be(1);
+      // check that the received message is not the empty one
+      var $firstChatMessage = chrome$("#chattext").children("p");
+      var containsMessage = $firstChatMessage.text().indexOf("mluto") !== -1;
+      expect(containsMessage).to.be(true);
+      done();
+    });
+
+  });
 });