diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/debug/Compiler.java b/app/src/processing/app/debug/Compiler.java
index 2b328f5f9..284550faa 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/debug/Compiler.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/debug/Compiler.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class Compiler implements MessageConsumer {
     sketch.setCompilingProgress(20);
     List<String> includePaths = new ArrayList<String>();
     includePaths.add(prefs.get("build.core.path"));
-    if (!prefs.get("build.variant.path").isEmpty())
+    if (prefs.get("build.variant.path").length() != 0)
       includePaths.add(prefs.get("build.variant.path"));
     for (File file : sketch.getImportedLibraries())
       includePaths.add(file.getPath());
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ public class Compiler implements MessageConsumer {
     List<String> stringList = new ArrayList<String>();
     for (String string : command) {
       string = string.trim();
-      if (!string.isEmpty())
+      if (string.length() != 0)
         stringList.add(string);
     }
     command = stringList.toArray(new String[stringList.size()]);
@@ -602,12 +602,12 @@ public class Compiler implements MessageConsumer {
 
     List<String> includePaths = new ArrayList<String>();
     includePaths.add(corePath); // include core path only
-    if (!variantPath.isEmpty())
+    if (variantPath.length() != 0)
       includePaths.add(variantPath);
 
     List<File> coreObjectFiles = compileFiles(buildPath, new File(corePath),
                                               true, includePaths);
-    if (!variantPath.isEmpty())
+    if (variantPath.length() != 0)
       coreObjectFiles.addAll(compileFiles(buildPath, new File(variantPath),
                                           true, includePaths));
 
diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/helpers/StringReplacer.java b/app/src/processing/app/helpers/StringReplacer.java
index 73a760b56..c6b02a23b 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/helpers/StringReplacer.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/helpers/StringReplacer.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class StringReplacer {
     for (String i : src.split(" ")) {
       if (!escaping) {
         if (!i.startsWith(quote)) {
-          if (!i.trim().isEmpty() || acceptEmptyArguments)
+          if (i.trim().length() != 0 || acceptEmptyArguments)
             res.add(i);
           continue;
         }
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public class StringReplacer {
       }
 
       escapedArg += i.substring(0, i.length() - 1);
-      if (!escapedArg.trim().isEmpty() || acceptEmptyArguments)
+      if (escapedArg.trim().length() != 0 || acceptEmptyArguments)
         res.add(escapedArg);
       escaping = false;
     }