diff --git a/components/bio-formats/src/loci/formats/in/IvisionReader.java b/components/bio-formats/src/loci/formats/in/IvisionReader.java
index ac7e07bd591..3bb6d9d5536 100644
--- a/components/bio-formats/src/loci/formats/in/IvisionReader.java
+++ b/components/bio-formats/src/loci/formats/in/IvisionReader.java
@@ -365,11 +365,13 @@ else if ("iplab:Objective_RI".equals(key)) {
     }
 
     public void characters(char[] ch, int start, int length) {
-      String v = new String(ch, start, length);
-      if ("key".equals(currentElement)) {
-        key = v;
+      String v = new String(ch, start, length).trim();
+      if (v.length() > 0) {
+        if ("key".equals(currentElement)) {
+          key = v;
+        }
+        else value = v;
       }
-      else value = v;
     }
 
     public void startElement(String uri, String localName, String qName,