diff --git a/OpenRTM_aist/Properties.py b/OpenRTM_aist/Properties.py
index 1864be0a..48c04ff8 100644
--- a/OpenRTM_aist/Properties.py
+++ b/OpenRTM_aist/Properties.py
@@ -382,6 +382,8 @@ def getRoot(self):
     # @endif
 
     def getProperty(self, key, default=None):
+        if not key.strip():
+            return self.empty
         if default is None:
             keys = []
             #keys = str.split(key, ".")
@@ -419,6 +421,8 @@ def getProperty(self, key, default=None):
     # @endif
 
     def getDefault(self, key):
+        if not key.strip():
+            return self.empty
         keys = []
         #keys = str.split(key, ".")
         self.split(key, ".", keys)
@@ -459,6 +463,8 @@ def getDefault(self, key):
     # @endif
 
     def setProperty(self, key, value=None):
+        if not key.strip():
+            return value
         if value is not None:
             keys = []
             #keys = str.split(key, ".")
@@ -761,6 +767,7 @@ def load(self, inStream):
 
             _str = _str.rstrip('\r\n')
             _str = _str.rstrip('\n')
+            _str = _str.strip()
 
             if not _str:
                 continue
@@ -964,7 +971,7 @@ def size(self):
     # Properties* const Properties::findNode(const std::string& key) const
 
     def findNode(self, key):
-        if not key:
+        if not key.strip():
             return None
 
         keys = []
@@ -987,7 +994,7 @@ def findNode(self, key):
     # @endif
 
     def getNode(self, key):
-        if not key:
+        if not key.strip():
             return self
 
         leaf = self.findNode(key)
@@ -1015,7 +1022,7 @@ def getNode(self, key):
     # @endif
 
     def createNode(self, key):
-        if not key:
+        if not key.strip():
             return False
 
         if self.findNode(key):
@@ -1182,7 +1189,7 @@ def splitKeyValue(self, _str, key, value):
     # @endif
 
     def split(self, _str, delim, value):
-        if _str == "":
+        if not _str.strip():
             return False
 
         begin_it = end_it = 0
diff --git a/OpenRTM_aist/StringUtil.py b/OpenRTM_aist/StringUtil.py
index 8a8954f6..d514883f 100644
--- a/OpenRTM_aist/StringUtil.py
+++ b/OpenRTM_aist/StringUtil.py
@@ -702,6 +702,8 @@ def urlparam2map(_str):
             key = v[0:pos]
             if key.strip():
                 retmap[key] = v[pos + 1:]
+        else:
+            retmap[v] = ""
     return retmap
 
 ##