diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index d7422be1..eb4c294f 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+    - change logic in assign() and append() to test var names
+      against != '' instead of empty() (Monte)
+    - fix PHP notice in append() function (Monte)
     - allow $plugins_dir to be an array of directories
       (Andreas Kossmeier, Monte)
     - move debug.tpl to SMARTY_DIR, add to constructor (Monte)
diff --git a/Smarty.class.php b/Smarty.class.php
index db86dab9..12bcab5f 100644
--- a/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/Smarty.class.php
@@ -226,12 +226,12 @@ class Smarty
     {
         if (is_array($tpl_var)){
             foreach ($tpl_var as $key => $val) {
-                if (!empty($key) && isset($val)) {
+                if ($key != '' && isset($val)) {
                     $this->_tpl_vars[$key] = $val;
                 }
             }
         } else {
-            if (!empty($tpl_var) && isset($value))
+            if ($tpl_var != '' && isset($value))
                 $this->_tpl_vars[$tpl_var] = $value;
         }
         $this->_extract = true;
diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index db86dab9..12bcab5f 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -226,12 +226,12 @@ class Smarty
     {
         if (is_array($tpl_var)){
             foreach ($tpl_var as $key => $val) {
-                if (!empty($key) && isset($val)) {
+                if ($key != '' && isset($val)) {
                     $this->_tpl_vars[$key] = $val;
                 }
             }
         } else {
-            if (!empty($tpl_var) && isset($value))
+            if ($tpl_var != '' && isset($value))
                 $this->_tpl_vars[$tpl_var] = $value;
         }
         $this->_extract = true;