diff --git a/src/dorem.c b/src/dorem.c
index afbf5e28..2fa77d6a 100644
--- a/src/dorem.c
+++ b/src/dorem.c
@@ -916,6 +916,11 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int dse, int is_queue
         msg_command = QueuedMsgCommand;
     }
 
+    /* A null command is no command */
+    if (msg_command && !*msg_command) {
+        msg_command = NULL;
+    }
+
     int red = -1, green = -1, blue = -1;
     int is_color = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/dosubst.c b/src/dosubst.c
index dc016ba0..f326d9f9 100644
--- a/src/dosubst.c
+++ b/src/dosubst.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ int DoSubst(ParsePtr p, DynamicBuffer *dbuf, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tt, int dse,
                 mode != CAL_MODE &&
                 mode != ADVANCE_MODE &&
 		t->typ != RUN_TYPE &&
-                !MsgCommand) {
+                !(MsgCommand && *MsgCommand)) {
 		if (DBufPutc(dbuf, '\n') != OK) return E_NO_MEM;
 	    }
 	    break;
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ int DoSubst(ParsePtr p, DynamicBuffer *dbuf, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tt, int dse,
                 break;
 
             case '_':
-                if (PsCal == PSCAL_LEVEL2 || PsCal == PSCAL_LEVEL3 || (mode != CAL_MODE && mode != ADVANCE_MODE && !MsgCommand)) {
+                if (PsCal == PSCAL_LEVEL2 || PsCal == PSCAL_LEVEL3 || (mode != CAL_MODE && mode != ADVANCE_MODE && !(MsgCommand && *MsgCommand))) {
                     snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "%s", NL);
                 } else {
                     snprintf(s, sizeof(s), " ");
diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index f937a310..69f51f16 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -602,13 +602,9 @@ void InitRemind(int argc, char const *argv[])
 	    case 'K':
                 if (*arg == ':') {
                     arg++;
-                    if (*arg) {
-                        QueuedMsgCommand = arg;
-                    }
+                    QueuedMsgCommand = arg;
                 } else {
-                    if (*arg) {
-                        MsgCommand = arg;
-                    }
+                    MsgCommand = arg;
                 }
 		while (*arg) arg++;  /* Chew up remaining chars in this arg */
 		break;
diff --git a/src/sort.c b/src/sort.c
index aa7613ba..8db57ad0 100644
--- a/src/sort.c
+++ b/src/sort.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void IssueSortedReminders(void)
 	next = cur->next;
 	switch(cur->typ) {
 	case MSG_TYPE:
-	    if (MsgCommand) {
+	    if (MsgCommand && *MsgCommand) {
 		DoMsgCommand(MsgCommand, cur->text);
             } else {
 		if (cur->trigdate != olddate) {