diff --git a/src/protobuffs_parser.yrl b/src/protobuffs_parser.yrl
index fe72607..95ef5d2 100644
--- a/src/protobuffs_parser.yrl
+++ b/src/protobuffs_parser.yrl
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ g_header -> g_var g_var '=' g_value ';'				: {'$1', '$2', '$4'}.
 
 g_message -> g_var g_var '{' g_elements '}'			: {'$1', safe_string('$2'), '$4'}.
 g_message -> g_var g_var '{' g_rpcs '}'				: {'$1', safe_string('$2'), '$4'}.
+g_message -> g_var g_var '{' '}'					: {'$1', safe_string('$2'), []}.
 
 g_rpcs -> g_rpc							: ['$1'].
 g_rpcs -> g_rpc g_rpcs						: ['$1' | '$2'].
diff --git a/src/protobuffs_scanner.xrl b/src/protobuffs_scanner.xrl
index 47da942..e8a9602 100644
--- a/src/protobuffs_scanner.xrl
+++ b/src/protobuffs_scanner.xrl
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Rules.
 {L}({L}|{D})* : {token, {var, TokenLine,list_to_atom(TokenChars)}}.
 '({L}|{D})+' : S = strip(TokenChars,TokenLen),
          {token,{string,TokenLine,S}}.
-"({L}|{D}|/)+" : S = strip(TokenChars,TokenLen),
+"({L}|{D}|/)*" : S = strip(TokenChars,TokenLen),
          {token,{string,TokenLine,S}}.
 {S} : {token, {list_to_atom(TokenChars),TokenLine}}.
 {WS}+  : skip_token.
diff --git a/test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/empty.proto b/test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/empty.proto
index 081b469..bcb8a0b 100644
--- a/test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/empty.proto
+++ b/test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/empty.proto
@@ -14,4 +14,7 @@ message Empty {
   optional bool val1 = 13;
   optional string str1 = 14;
   optional bytes bit1 = 15;
+  optional EmptyMessage msg = 16;
+  message EmptyMessage {
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/hasdefault.proto b/test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/hasdefault.proto
index 6ae4e82..4497312 100644
--- a/test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/hasdefault.proto
+++ b/test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/hasdefault.proto
@@ -14,5 +14,6 @@ message WithDefault {
   required sfixed64 int10 = 12 [default = 10];
   required bool val1 = 13 [default = true];
   required string str1 = 14 [default = "test"];
+  required string str2 = 15 [default = ""];
 }
 
diff --git a/test/protobuffs_eqc.erl b/test/protobuffs_eqc.erl
index 0a548dd..7b665a5 100644
--- a/test/protobuffs_eqc.erl
+++ b/test/protobuffs_eqc.erl
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ sint64() ->
     choose(-16#8000000000000000,16#7fffffffffffffff).
 
 string() ->
-    non_empty(list(char())).
+    list(char()).
 
 value() ->
     oneof([{real(),double},
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@ prop_protobuffs_empty() ->
 		    default(undefined, sint64()),
 		    default(undefined, bool()),
 		    default(undefined, string()),
-		    default(undefined, binary())}},
+		    default(undefined, binary()),
+		    default(undefined, {empty_emptymessage})}},
 	    begin
 		Decoded = empty_pb:decode_empty(empty_pb:encode_empty(Empty)),
 		compare_messages(Empty,Decoded)
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ prop_protobuffs_has_default() ->
 	     default(undefined, sint32()),
 	     default(undefined, sint64()),
 	     default(undefined, bool()),
+	     default(undefined, string()),
 	     default(undefined, string())}},
 	    begin
 		Decoded = hasdefault_pb:decode_withdefault(hasdefault_pb:encode_withdefault(Withdefault)),
diff --git a/test/protobuffs_parser_tests.erl b/test/protobuffs_parser_tests.erl
index ae281d3..1a63946 100644
--- a/test/protobuffs_parser_tests.erl
+++ b/test/protobuffs_parser_tests.erl
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ message_test_() ->
     [?_assertMatch({ok,[{message, "Test",[{1,required,"string","name",none}]}]},Parsed)].
 
 message_default_test_() ->
-    {ok,Result,1} = protobuffs_scanner:string("message Test { optional float value = 1 [default=0.01]; }"),
+	{ok,Result,1} = protobuffs_scanner:string("message Test { optional float value = 1 [default=0.01]; optional string stringvalue = 2 [default=\"\"];}"),
     Parsed = protobuffs_parser:parse(Result),
-    [?_assertMatch({ok,[{message, "Test",[{1,optional,"float","value",0.01}]}]},Parsed)].
+    [?_assertMatch({ok,[{message, "Test",[{1,optional,"float","value",0.01},{2,optional,"string","stringvalue",""}]}]},Parsed)].
 
 packed_test_() ->
     {ok,Result,1} = protobuffs_scanner:string("message Test { repeated float values = 1 [packed=true]; }"),
@@ -70,3 +70,7 @@ inner_option_test_() ->
     Parsed = protobuffs_parser:parse(Result),
     [?_assertMatch({ok,[{message, "Foo", [{option,message_set_wire_format,true}]}]}, Parsed)].
 
+nested_message_test_() ->
+	{ok,Result,1} = protobuffs_scanner:string("message Test { required Nested nested = 1; message Nested { } }"),
+    Parsed = protobuffs_parser:parse(Result),
+	[?_assertMatch({ok,[{message, "Test",[{1, required, "Nested", "nested", none}, {message, "Nested", []}]}]},Parsed)].
diff --git a/test/protobuffs_tests.erl b/test/protobuffs_tests.erl
index a7674e8..55e6dc1 100644
--- a/test/protobuffs_tests.erl
+++ b/test/protobuffs_tests.erl
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ parse_empty_file_test_() ->
     Path = filename:absname("../test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/empty.proto"),
     io:format("Test path ~p~n",[Path]),
     [{message, "Empty", Messages}] = parse(Path),
+    {message, "EmptyMessage", _EmptyMessage} = lists:keyfind("EmptyMessage",2,Messages),
     [?_assertMatch({1,optional,"double","real1",none},lists:keyfind(1,1,Messages)),
      ?_assertMatch({2,optional,"float","real2",none},lists:keyfind(2,1,Messages)),
      ?_assertMatch({3,optional,"int32","int1",none},lists:keyfind(3,1,Messages)),
@@ -59,7 +60,8 @@ parse_empty_file_test_() ->
      ?_assertMatch({12,optional,"sfixed64","int10",none},lists:keyfind(12,1,Messages)),
      ?_assertMatch({13,optional,"bool","val1",none},lists:keyfind(13,1,Messages)),
      ?_assertMatch({14,optional,"string","str1",none},lists:keyfind(14,1,Messages)),
-     ?_assertMatch({15,optional,"bytes","bit1",none},lists:keyfind(15,1,Messages))].
+     ?_assertMatch({15,optional,"bytes","bit1",none},lists:keyfind(15,1,Messages)),
+     ?_assertMatch({16,optional,"EmptyMessage","msg",none},lists:keyfind(16,1,Messages))].
 
 parse_has_default_test_() ->
     Path = filename:absname("../test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/hasdefault.proto"),
@@ -77,7 +79,8 @@ parse_has_default_test_() ->
      ?_assertMatch({11,required,"sfixed32","int9",9},lists:keyfind(11,1,Messages)),
      ?_assertMatch({12,required,"sfixed64","int10",10},lists:keyfind(12,1,Messages)),
      ?_assertMatch({13,required,"bool","val1",true},lists:keyfind(13,1,Messages)),
-     ?_assertMatch({14,required,"string","str1","test"},lists:keyfind(14,1,Messages))].
+     ?_assertMatch({14,required,"string","str1","test"},lists:keyfind(14,1,Messages)),
+     ?_assertMatch({15,required,"string","str2",""},lists:keyfind(15,1,Messages))].
 
 parse_simple_test_() ->
     Path = filename:absname("../test/erlang_protobuffs_SUITE_data/simple.proto"),