diff --git a/simgear/scene/tgdb/AreaFeatureBin.cxx b/simgear/scene/tgdb/AreaFeatureBin.cxx
index e9b18b50..500b1183 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/tgdb/AreaFeatureBin.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/tgdb/AreaFeatureBin.cxx
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ AreaFeatureBin::AreaFeatureBin(const SGPath& absoluteFileName, const std::string
         std::string line;
         std::getline(stream, line);
 
+        if (line.length() == 0) continue;
+
         // strip comments
         std::string::size_type hash_pos = line.find('#');
         if (hash_pos != std::string::npos)
diff --git a/simgear/scene/tgdb/CoastlineBin.cxx b/simgear/scene/tgdb/CoastlineBin.cxx
index 577fc485..80ea660a 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/tgdb/CoastlineBin.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/tgdb/CoastlineBin.cxx
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ CoastlineBin::CoastlineBin(const SGPath& absoluteFileName)
         if (hash_pos != std::string::npos)
             line.resize(hash_pos);
 
+        if (line.length() == 0) continue;
+
         // and process further
         std::stringstream in(line);
 
diff --git a/simgear/scene/tgdb/LineFeatureBin.cxx b/simgear/scene/tgdb/LineFeatureBin.cxx
index edfd361e..0164333a 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/tgdb/LineFeatureBin.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/tgdb/LineFeatureBin.cxx
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ LineFeatureBin::LineFeatureBin(const SGPath& absoluteFileName, const std::string
         std::string line;
         std::getline(stream, line);
 
+        if (line.length() == 0) continue;
+
         // strip comments
         std::string::size_type hash_pos = line.find('#');
         if (hash_pos != std::string::npos)