diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/FixedLogBuffer.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/FixedLogBuffer.java
index 73f284a73..78dc59562 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/FixedLogBuffer.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/FixedLogBuffer.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class FixedLogBuffer extends LogBuffer {
      */
     @Override
     public void shiftIn(final LogUnit newLogUnit) {
-        if (newLogUnit.getWord() == null) {
+        if (!newLogUnit.hasWord()) {
             // This LogUnit isn't a word, so it doesn't count toward the word-limit.
             super.shiftIn(newLogUnit);
             return;
@@ -153,8 +153,7 @@ public class FixedLogBuffer extends LogBuffer {
         for (int i = 0; i < length && n > 0; i++) {
             final LogUnit logUnit = logUnits.get(i);
             list.add(logUnit);
-            final String word = logUnit.getWord();
-            if (word != null) {
+            if (logUnit.hasWord()) {
                 n--;
             }
         }
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/LogUnit.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/LogUnit.java
index 0234bbc5b..638b7d9d4 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/LogUnit.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/LogUnit.java
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
      * string.
      */
     public void setWord(final String word) {
-        if (mWord != null) {
+        if (hasWord()) {
             // The word was already set once, and it is now being changed.  See if the new word
             // is close to the old word.  If so, then the change is probably a typo correction.
             // If not, the user may have decided to enter a different word, so flag it.
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
     }
 
     public boolean hasWord() {
-        return mWord != null;
+        return mWord != null && !TextUtils.isEmpty(mWord.trim());
     }
 
     public void setMayContainDigit() {
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/MainLogBuffer.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/MainLogBuffer.java
index 57d5c41d7..3a87bf1df 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/MainLogBuffer.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/MainLogBuffer.java
@@ -117,20 +117,19 @@ public abstract class MainLogBuffer extends FixedLogBuffer {
         if (IS_LOGGING_EVERYTHING) {
             if (mIsStopping) {
                 return true;
-            } else {
-                // Only check that it is the right length.  If not, wait for later words to make
-                // complete n-grams.
-                int numWordsInLogUnitList = 0;
-                final int length = logUnits.size();
-                for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
-                    final LogUnit logUnit = logUnits.get(i);
-                    final String word = logUnit.getWord();
-                    if (word != null) {
-                        numWordsInLogUnitList++;
-                    }
-                }
-                return numWordsInLogUnitList >= minNGramSize;
             }
+            // Only check that it is the right length.  If not, wait for later words to make
+            // complete n-grams.
+            int numWordsInLogUnitList = 0;
+            final int length = logUnits.size();
+            for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+                final LogUnit logUnit = logUnits.get(i);
+                final String word = logUnit.getWord();
+                if (word != null) {
+                    numWordsInLogUnitList++;
+                }
+            }
+            return numWordsInLogUnitList >= minNGramSize;
         }
 
         // Check that we are not sampling too frequently.  Having sampled recently might disclose
@@ -157,14 +156,14 @@ public abstract class MainLogBuffer extends FixedLogBuffer {
         final int length = logUnits.size();
         for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
             final LogUnit logUnit = logUnits.get(i);
-            final String word = logUnit.getWord();
-            if (word == null) {
+            if (!logUnit.hasWord()) {
                 // Digits outside words are a privacy threat.
                 if (logUnit.mayContainDigit()) {
                     return false;
                 }
             } else {
                 numWordsInLogUnitList++;
+                final String word = logUnit.getWord();
                 // Words not in the dictionary are a privacy threat.
                 if (ResearchLogger.hasLetters(word) && !(dictionary.isValidWord(word))) {
                     if (DEBUG) {