diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_translate.py b/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_translate.py
index f9ce5189e20..c3691563aef 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_translate.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_translate.py
@@ -67,6 +67,23 @@ class TranslationToolsTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertItemsEqual(terms,
             ['Form stuff', 'Blah <i>blah</i> blah', 'Put <em>some <b>more text</b></em> here'])
 
+    def test_translate_xml_inline3(self):
+        """ Test xml_translate() with formatting elements without actual text. """
+        terms = []
+        source = """<form string="Form stuff">
+                        <div>
+                            <span class="before"/>
+                            <h1>Blah blah blah</h1>
+                            <span class="after">
+                                <i class="hack"/>
+                            </span>
+                        </div>
+                    </form>"""
+        result = xml_translate(terms.append, source)
+        self.assertEquals(result, source)
+        self.assertItemsEqual(terms,
+            ['Form stuff', 'Blah blah blah'])
+
     def test_translate_xml_t(self):
         """ Test xml_translate() with t-* attributes. """
         terms = []
diff --git a/openerp/tools/translate.py b/openerp/tools/translate.py
index 1d6dbedaf93..b4e54b06537 100644
--- a/openerp/tools/translate.py
+++ b/openerp/tools/translate.py
@@ -181,9 +181,12 @@ class XMLTranslator(object):
         self.callback = callback        # callback function to translate terms
         self._done = []                 # translated strings
         self._todo = []                 # todo strings that come after _done
+        self.needs_trans = False        # whether todo needs translation
 
-    def todo(self, text):
+    def todo(self, text, needs_trans=True):
         self._todo.append(text)
+        if needs_trans and text.strip():
+            self.needs_trans = True
 
     def all_todo(self):
         return not self._done
@@ -194,8 +197,10 @@ class XMLTranslator(object):
     def flush(self):
         if self._todo:
             todo = "".join(self._todo)
-            self._done.append(self.process_text(todo))
+            done = self.process_text(todo) if self.needs_trans else todo
+            self._done.append(done)
             del self._todo[:]
+            self.needs_trans = False
 
     def done(self, text):
         self.flush()
@@ -231,7 +236,8 @@ class XMLTranslator(object):
                 node.tag in TRANSLATED_ELEMENTS and
                 not any(attr.startswith("t-") for attr in node.attrib)):
             # serialize the node element as todo
-            self.todo(serialize(node.tag, node.attrib, child_trans.get_todo()))
+            self.todo(serialize(node.tag, node.attrib, child_trans.get_todo()),
+                      child_trans.needs_trans)
         else:
             # complete translations and serialize result as done
             for attr in TRANSLATED_ATTRS: