diff --git a/app/browse.rb b/app/browse.rb
index f909e1b8..f3f64097 100644
--- a/app/browse.rb
+++ b/app/browse.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 get '/browse/?' do
-  params.delete 'tag' if params[:tag].nil? || params[:tag].empty?
+  params.delete 'tag' if params[:tag].nil? || params[:tag].strip.empty?
   site_dataset = browse_sites_dataset
   site_dataset = site_dataset.paginate @current_page, Site::BROWSE_PAGINATION_LENGTH
   @page_count = site_dataset.page_count || 1
@@ -65,4 +65,4 @@ def browse_sites_dataset
   end
 
   site_dataset
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/app/contact.rb b/app/contact.rb
index 69c178a7..0b0726b5 100644
--- a/app/contact.rb
+++ b/app/contact.rb
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ post '/contact' do
     flash[:success] = 'Your contact has been sent.'
     redirect '/'
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/app/password_reset.rb b/app/password_reset.rb
index e8a361e8..9fd20299 100644
--- a/app/password_reset.rb
+++ b/app/password_reset.rb
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ the Neocities Cat
 end
 
 get '/password_reset_confirm' do
-  if params[:token].nil? || params[:token].empty?
+  if params[:token].nil? || params[:token].strip.empty?
     flash[:error] = 'Could not find a site with this token.'
     redirect '/'
   end
@@ -67,4 +67,4 @@ get '/password_reset_confirm' do
   end
 
   redirect '/'
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/app/site_files.rb b/app/site_files.rb
index ef6a02fa..3ae202e4 100644
--- a/app/site_files.rb
+++ b/app/site_files.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ post '/site_files/create_page' do
   params[:pagefilename].gsub!(/[^a-zA-Z0-9_\-.]/, '')
   params[:pagefilename].gsub!(/\.html$/i, '')
 
-  if params[:pagefilename].nil? || params[:pagefilename].empty?
+  if params[:pagefilename].nil? || params[:pagefilename].strip.empty?
     @errors << 'You must provide a file name.'
     halt erb(:'site_files/new_page')
   end
diff --git a/app/surf.rb b/app/surf.rb
index 123c2d88..f4639c5c 100644
--- a/app/surf.rb
+++ b/app/surf.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 get '/surf/?' do
-  params.delete 'tag' if params[:tag].nil? || params[:tag].empty?
+  params.delete 'tag' if params[:tag].nil? || params[:tag].strip.empty?
   site_dataset = browse_sites_dataset
   site_dataset = site_dataset.paginate @current_page, 1
   @page_count = site_dataset.page_count || 1
@@ -14,4 +14,4 @@ get '/surf/:username' do |username|
   @title = @site.title
   not_found if @site.nil?
   erb :'surf', layout: false
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/ext/string.rb b/ext/string.rb
index ed56207c..12ec0af1 100644
--- a/ext/string.rb
+++ b/ext/string.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
 class String
-  def empty?
-    strip == '' ? true : false
-  end
-
   def shorten(length, usedots=true)
     if usedots
       return self if self.length < length
@@ -15,4 +11,4 @@ class String
   def unindent
     gsub /^#{scan(/^\s*/).min_by{|l|l.length}}/, ""
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end