diff --git a/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/core/StopException.java b/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/core/StopException.java
index dbabb2758..1b9f4a5b1 100644
--- a/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/core/StopException.java
+++ b/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/core/StopException.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public void printStackTrace(PrintWriter pw) {
         synchronized (pw) {
             String msg = this.getMessage();
             pw.print("Encountered stop instruction");
-            if (msg != null && !msg.equals("")) {
+            if (msg != null && !msg.isEmpty()) {
                 pw.println("\nCause given: " + msg);
             } else pw.println();
             super.printStackTrace(pw);
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public void printStackTrace(PrintStream ps) {
         synchronized (ps) {
             String msg = this.getMessage();
             ps.print("Encountered stop instruction");
-            if (msg != null && !msg.equals("")) {
+            if (msg != null && !msg.isEmpty()) {
                 ps.println("\nCause given: " + msg);
             } else ps.println();
             super.printStackTrace(ps);
diff --git a/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/dom/AttributeNodeModel.java b/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/dom/AttributeNodeModel.java
index 2ae1740d4..fbcb42588 100644
--- a/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/dom/AttributeNodeModel.java
+++ b/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/dom/AttributeNodeModel.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public String getAsString() {
     @Override
     public String getNodeName() {
         String result = node.getLocalName();
-        if (result == null || result.equals("")) {
+        if (result == null || result.isEmpty()) {
             result = node.getNodeName();
         }
         return result;
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public boolean isEmpty() {
     @Override
     String getQualifiedName() {
         String nsURI = node.getNamespaceURI();
-        if (nsURI == null || nsURI.equals(""))
+        if (nsURI == null || nsURI.isEmpty())
             return node.getNodeName();
         Environment env = Environment.getCurrentEnvironment();
         String defaultNS = env.getDefaultNS();
diff --git a/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/dom/ElementModel.java b/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/dom/ElementModel.java
index 8e3acae6e..2622d8d8d 100644
--- a/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/dom/ElementModel.java
+++ b/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/dom/ElementModel.java
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public String getAsString() throws TemplateModelException {
     @Override
     public String getNodeName() {
         String result = node.getLocalName();
-        if (result == null || result.equals("")) {
+        if (result == null || result.isEmpty()) {
             result = node.getNodeName();
         }
         return result;
diff --git a/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/template/Template.java b/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/template/Template.java
index c6fcc31fd..7d71b1377 100644
--- a/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/template/Template.java
+++ b/freemarker-core/src/main/java/freemarker/template/Template.java
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@ public String getDefaultNS() {
      * @return the NamespaceUri mapped to this prefix in this template. (Or null if there is none.)
      */
     public String getNamespaceForPrefix(String prefix) {
-        if (prefix.equals("")) {
+        if (prefix.isEmpty()) {
             return defaultNS == null ? "" : defaultNS;
         }
         return (String) prefixToNamespaceURILookup.get(prefix);
diff --git a/freemarker-javax-servlet/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/jsp/TaglibMethodUtil.java b/freemarker-javax-servlet/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/jsp/TaglibMethodUtil.java
index ab1effbb7..75ce8f7cd 100644
--- a/freemarker-javax-servlet/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/jsp/TaglibMethodUtil.java
+++ b/freemarker-javax-servlet/src/main/java/freemarker/ext/jsp/TaglibMethodUtil.java
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static Method getMethodByFunctionSignature(Class clazz, String signature)
             String params = m1.group(4).trim();
             Class [] paramTypes = null;
 
-            if ("".equals(params)) {
+            if (params.isEmpty()) {
                 paramTypes = new Class[0];
             } else {
                 String [] paramsArray = StringUtil.split(params, ',');