diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 094a748..d838c53 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -76,9 +76,11 @@ char *string_replace_all(const char *needle, const char *replacement,
 
 char *string_append(char *a, const char *b, const char *sep)
 {
-        if (!a)
+        if (!a || *a == '\0') {
+                g_free(a);
                 return g_strdup(b);
-        if (!b)
+        }
+        if (!b || *b == '\0')
                 return a;
 
         char *new;
diff --git a/test/utils.c b/test/utils.c
index 6fcee97..f0b7969 100644
--- a/test/utils.c
+++ b/test/utils.c
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ TEST test_string_append(void)
 
         ASSERT_STR_EQ("text", (exp = string_append(g_strdup("text"), "", NULL)));
         g_free(exp);
+        ASSERT_STR_EQ("text", (exp = string_append(g_strdup("text"), "", "_sep_")));
+        g_free(exp);
 
         ASSERT_STR_EQ("b", (exp = string_append(g_strdup(""), "b", NULL)));
         g_free(exp);
@@ -94,6 +96,8 @@ TEST test_string_append(void)
         ASSERT_STR_EQ("a", (exp = string_append(g_strdup("a"), NULL, "_sep_")));
         g_free(exp);
 
+        ASSERT_STR_EQ("", (exp = string_append(g_strdup(""), "", "_sep_")));
+        g_free(exp);
         ASSERT_EQ(NULL, (exp = string_append(NULL, NULL, "_sep_")));
         g_free(exp);