diff --git a/lib/ransack/predicate.rb b/lib/ransack/predicate.rb
index 64941811..8f9fa13d 100644
--- a/lib/ransack/predicate.rb
+++ b/lib/ransack/predicate.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def initialize(opts = {})
       @type = opts[:type]
       @formatter = opts[:formatter]
       @validator = opts[:validator] ||
-        lambda { |v| v.respond_to?(:empty?) ? !v.empty? : !v.nil? }
+        lambda { |v| v.is_a?(String) || (v.respond_to?(:empty?) ? !v.empty? : !v.nil?) }
       @compound = opts[:compound]
       @wants_array = opts.fetch(:wants_array,
         @compound || Constants::IN_NOT_IN.include?(@arel_predicate))
diff --git a/lib/ransack/search.rb b/lib/ransack/search.rb
index 03115c5a..17a68976 100644
--- a/lib/ransack/search.rb
+++ b/lib/ransack/search.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,12 @@ def initialize(object, params = {}, options = {})
       if params.is_a? Hash
         params = params.dup
         params = params.transform_values { |v| v.is_a?(String) && strip_whitespace ? v.strip : v }
-        params.delete_if { |k, v| [*v].all?{ |i| i.blank? && i != false } }
+        params.delete_if { |k, v| 
+          [*v].all? do |i|
+            i.nil? || 
+            (i.respond_to?(:blank?) && i.blank? && !i.is_a?(String) && i != false)
+          end
+        }
       else
         params = {}
       end
diff --git a/spec/ransack/search_spec.rb b/spec/ransack/search_spec.rb
index 850bbe6b..d356d4e0 100644
--- a/spec/ransack/search_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/ransack/search_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module Ransack
   describe Search do
     describe '#initialize' do
       it 'removes empty conditions before building' do
-        expect_any_instance_of(Search).to receive(:build).with({})
+        expect_any_instance_of(Search).to receive(:build).with({ 'name_eq' => '' })
         Search.new(Person, name_eq: '')
       end
 
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ module Ransack
         end
       end
 
-      it 'removes empty suffixed conditions before building' do
-        expect_any_instance_of(Search).to receive(:build).with({})
+      it 'keeps empty suffixed conditions before building' do
+        expect_any_instance_of(Search).to receive(:build).with({ 'name_eq_any' => [''] })
         Search.new(Person, name_eq_any: [''])
       end
 
@@ -184,12 +184,60 @@ module Ransack
         expect(s.result.to_sql).to include 'published'
       end
 
-      it 'discards empty conditions' do
+      it 'does not discard conditions with empty string values' do
         s = Search.new(Person, children_name_eq: '')
         condition = s.base[:children_name_eq]
+        expect(condition).not_to be_nil
+        expect(condition.values.first.value).to eq('')
+      end
+
+      it 'discards nil conditions' do
+        s = Search.new(Person, children_name_eq: nil)
+        condition = s.base[:children_name_eq]
         expect(condition).to be_nil
       end
 
+      it 'should not discard conditions with empty string values in arrays' do
+        s = Search.new(Person, name_in: ['', 'John'])
+        condition = s.base[:name_in]
+        expect(condition).not_to be_nil
+        expect(condition.values.map(&:value)).to eq(['', 'John'])
+      end
+
+      it 'should not discard eq conditions with empty string values' do
+        s = Search.new(Person, name_eq: '')
+        condition = s.base[:name_eq]
+        expect(condition).not_to be_nil
+        expect(condition.values.first.value).to eq('')
+      end
+
+      context 'issue: empty string values in predicates' do
+        it 'includes empty strings in IN predicates alongside other values' do
+          s = Search.new(Person, name_in: ['', 'John', 'Jane'])
+          condition = s.base[:name_in]
+          expect(condition).not_to be_nil
+          expect(condition.values.map(&:value)).to eq(['', 'John', 'Jane'])
+        end
+
+        it 'creates condition for eq predicate with empty string' do
+          s = Search.new(Person, name_eq: '')
+          condition = s.base[:name_eq]
+          expect(condition).not_to be_nil
+          expect(condition.values.first.value).to eq('')
+        end
+
+        it 'handles mixed predicates with empty strings and regular values' do
+          s = Search.new(Person, name_eq: '', email_eq: 'test@example.com')
+          name_condition = s.base[:name_eq]
+          email_condition = s.base[:email_eq]
+          
+          expect(name_condition).not_to be_nil
+          expect(name_condition.values.first.value).to eq('')
+          expect(email_condition).not_to be_nil
+          expect(email_condition.values.first.value).to eq('test@example.com')
+        end
+      end
+
       it 'accepts base grouping condition as an option' do
         expect(Nodes::Grouping).to receive(:new).with(kind_of(Context), 'or')
         Search.new(Person, {}, { grouping: 'or' })