diff --git a/Engine/source/core/util/str.cpp b/Engine/source/core/util/str.cpp
index d9d3c3ec7..013be3477 100644
--- a/Engine/source/core/util/str.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/core/util/str.cpp
@@ -657,6 +657,11 @@ bool String::isEmpty() const
    return ( _string == StringData::Empty() );
 }
 
+bool String::isEmpty(const char* str)
+{
+	return (dStrlen(str) == 0);
+}
+
 bool String::isShared() const
 {
    return _string->isShared();
diff --git a/Engine/source/core/util/str.h b/Engine/source/core/util/str.h
index 009484451..517f0be81 100644
--- a/Engine/source/core/util/str.h
+++ b/Engine/source/core/util/str.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ public:
    SizeType size() const;     ///< Returns the length of the string in bytes including the NULL terminator.
    SizeType numChars() const; ///< Returns the length of the string in characters.
    bool     isEmpty() const;  ///< Is this an empty string [""]?
+   static bool isEmpty(const char*); // is the input empty?
    bool     isNotEmpty() const { return !isEmpty(); }  ///< Is this not an empty string [""]?
 
    /// Erases all characters in a string.
diff --git a/Engine/source/forest/forest.cpp b/Engine/source/forest/forest.cpp
index 037278e36..7e8938d82 100644
--- a/Engine/source/forest/forest.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/forest/forest.cpp
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ void Forest::createNewFile()
 
 void Forest::saveDataFile( const char *path )
 {
-   if ( path )
+   if ( path && !String::isEmpty(path))
       mDataFileName = StringTable->insert( path );
 
    if ( mData )