diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/codeInsight/editorActions/moveUpDown/StatementMover.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/codeInsight/editorActions/moveUpDown/StatementMover.java
index 7c6b91609871..f97d68198482 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/codeInsight/editorActions/moveUpDown/StatementMover.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/codeInsight/editorActions/moveUpDown/StatementMover.java
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ public class StatementMover extends LineMover {
     if (editor.getSelectionModel().hasSelection()){
       return false;
     }
+    Document document = editor.getDocument();
+    String lineToMove = document.getText(new TextRange(getLineStartSafeOffset(document, info.toMove.startLine), getLineStartSafeOffset(document, info.toMove.endLine)));
+    if (StringUtil.isEmptyOrSpaces(lineToMove)) {
+      info.toMove2 = info.toMove;
+      return true;
+    }
 
     //reset
     myStatementListToAddPass = null;