diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index f1cab33..8e7a79a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Add String.prototype.empty and String.prototype.blank (tests if empty or whitespace-only).  Closes #7016.  [Jonathan Viney, Thomas Fuchs]
+
 * Update README to reflect new URLs, update LICENSE copyright years.  Closes #7426.  [Tobie Langel]
 
 * Array.prototype.uniq optimization.  Closes #7417.  [Christophe Porteneuve]
diff --git a/src/dom.js b/src/dom.js
index c02cddd..046f96f 100644
--- a/src/dom.js
+++ b/src/dom.js
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ Element.Methods = {
   },
   
   empty: function(element) {
-    return $(element).innerHTML.match(/^\s*$/);
+    return $(element).innerHTML.blank();
   },
   
   descendantOf: function(element, ancestor) {
diff --git a/src/string.js b/src/string.js
index e3f10b3..5a575e0 100644
--- a/src/string.js
+++ b/src/string.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-String.interpret = function(value){
+String.interpret = function(value) {
   return value == null ? '' : String(value);
 }
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ Object.extend(String.prototype, {
     return camelized;
   },
   
-  capitalize: function(){
+  capitalize: function() {
     return this.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + this.substring(1).toLowerCase();
   },
   
@@ -142,16 +142,24 @@ Object.extend(String.prototype, {
       return "'" + escapedString.replace(/'/g, '\\\'') + "'";
   },
 
-  include: function(pattern){
+  include: function(pattern) {
     return this.indexOf(pattern) > -1;
   },
 
-  startsWith: function(pattern){
+  startsWith: function(pattern) {
     return this.indexOf(pattern) == 0;
   },
 
-  endsWith: function(pattern){
+  endsWith: function(pattern) {
     return this.lastIndexOf(pattern) == (this.length - pattern.length);
+  },
+  
+  empty: function() {
+    return this == '';
+  },
+  
+  blank: function() {
+    return /^\s*$/.test(this);
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/test/unit/string.html b/test/unit/string.html
index 80c9ddb..1200890 100644
--- a/test/unit/string.html
+++ b/test/unit/string.html
@@ -346,6 +346,22 @@
       assert('hello world world'.endsWith(' world'));
     }},
     
+    testBlank: function() { with(this) {
+      assert(''.blank());
+      assert(' '.blank());
+      assert('\t\r\n '.blank());
+      assert(!'a'.blank());
+      assert(!'\t y \n'.blank());
+    }},
+    
+    testEmpty: function() { with(this) {
+      assert(''.empty());
+      assert(!' '.empty());
+      assert(!'\t\r\n '.empty());
+      assert(!'a'.empty());
+      assert(!'\t y \n'.empty());
+    }},
+    
     testSucc: function() {with(this) {
       assertEqual('b', 'a'.succ());
       assertEqual('B', 'A'.succ());