diff --git a/collects/scribblings/scribble/reader.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/scribble/reader.scrbl
index 8c4dcb06..d539cb3f 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/scribble/reader.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/scribble/reader.scrbl
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ the opening marker to have the text terminated by a @litchar["}|"].
 
 @scribble-examples|==={
   @foo|{...}|
-  @foo|{"}" closes, "{" opens}|
+  @foo|{"}" follows "{"}|
   @foo|{Nesting |{is}| ok}|
 }===|
 
@@ -474,7 +474,6 @@ A single newline that follows an open brace or precedes a closing
 brace is discarded, unless there are only newlines in the body; other
 newlines are read as a @scheme["\n"] string
 
-@;FIXME empty lines are ignored in generated HTML output (with IE?)
 @scribble-examples|==={
   @foo{bar
   }
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/scribble/utils.ss b/collects/scribblings/scribble/utils.ss
index 7f4ba9b8..0be48cab 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/scribble/utils.ss
+++ b/collects/scribblings/scribble/utils.ss
@@ -15,7 +15,10 @@
         (make-table
          #f
          (map (lambda (s)
-                (list (make-flow (list (make-paragraph (list (litchar s)))))))
+                (list (make-flow (list (make-paragraph 
+					(if (string=? s "")
+					    '(nbsp) ; needed for IE
+					    (list (litchar s))))))))
               strs)))))
 
   (define (as-flow e)