diff --git a/CommandWhitelistBukkit/src/main/java/eu/endermite/commandwhitelist/bukkit/CommandWhitelistBukkit.java b/CommandWhitelistBukkit/src/main/java/eu/endermite/commandwhitelist/bukkit/CommandWhitelistBukkit.java
index a7beac1..5dcaaf4 100644
--- a/CommandWhitelistBukkit/src/main/java/eu/endermite/commandwhitelist/bukkit/CommandWhitelistBukkit.java
+++ b/CommandWhitelistBukkit/src/main/java/eu/endermite/commandwhitelist/bukkit/CommandWhitelistBukkit.java
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public class CommandWhitelistBukkit extends JavaPlugin {
         HashMap<String, CWGroup> groups = configCache.getGroupList();
         for (CWGroup group : groups.values()) {
             if (group.getCommands().contains(command)) {
-                if (group.getCommandDeniedMessage() == null || group.getCommandDeniedMessage().equals("")) continue;
+                if (group.getCommandDeniedMessage() == null || group.getCommandDeniedMessage().isEmpty()) continue;
                 commandDeniedMessage = group.getCommandDeniedMessage();
                 break; // get first message we find
             }
diff --git a/CommandWhitelistWaterfall/src/main/java/eu/endermite/commandwhitelist/waterfall/CommandWhitelistWaterfall.java b/CommandWhitelistWaterfall/src/main/java/eu/endermite/commandwhitelist/waterfall/CommandWhitelistWaterfall.java
index fcc7351..2633d60 100644
--- a/CommandWhitelistWaterfall/src/main/java/eu/endermite/commandwhitelist/waterfall/CommandWhitelistWaterfall.java
+++ b/CommandWhitelistWaterfall/src/main/java/eu/endermite/commandwhitelist/waterfall/CommandWhitelistWaterfall.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public final class CommandWhitelistWaterfall extends Plugin {
         HashMap<String, CWGroup> groups = configCache.getGroupList();
         for (CWGroup group : groups.values()) {
             if (group.getCommands().contains(command)) {
-                if (group.getCommandDeniedMessage() == null || group.getCommandDeniedMessage().equals("")) continue;
+                if (group.getCommandDeniedMessage() == null || group.getCommandDeniedMessage().isEmpty()) continue;
                 commandDeniedMessage = group.getCommandDeniedMessage();
                 break; // get first message we find
             }