diff --git a/lib/rackstash/adapters/adapter.rb b/lib/rackstash/adapters/adapter.rb
index de94e75..4b59e61 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/adapters/adapter.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/adapters/adapter.rb
@@ -96,16 +96,17 @@ module Rackstash
 
       private
 
-      # Helper method to ensure that a log line passed to {#write} is a string
-      # that ends in a newline character by mutating the object is required.
+      # Helper method to ensure that a log line passed to {#write} is either a
+      # String that ends in a newline character or is completely empty.
       #
       # @param line [#to_s] a log line
       # @return [String] `line` with a trailing newline character (`"\n"`)
       #   appended if necessary
       def normalize_line(line)
         line = line.to_s
-        line = "#{line}\n" unless line.end_with?("\n".freeze)
-        line
+        return line if line.empty? || line.end_with?("\n".freeze)
+
+        "#{line}\n"
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/rackstash/adapters/file.rb b/lib/rackstash/adapters/file.rb
index 5ddd8ee..9890fa3 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/adapters/file.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/adapters/file.rb
@@ -104,9 +104,12 @@ module Rackstash
       # @param log [#to_s] the encoded log event
       # @return [nil]
       def write_single(log)
+        line = normalize_line(log)
+        return if line.empty?
+
         @mutex.synchronize do
           auto_reopen
-          @file.write normalize_line(log)
+          @file.write(line)
         end
         nil
       end
diff --git a/lib/rackstash/adapters/io.rb b/lib/rackstash/adapters/io.rb
index c6d1bb0..dbd44fa 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/adapters/io.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/adapters/io.rb
@@ -88,8 +88,11 @@ module Rackstash
       # @param log [#to_s] the encoded log event
       # @return [nil]
       def write_single(log)
+        line = normalize_line(log)
+        return if line.empty?
+
         @io.synchronize_for_rackstash do
-          @io.write normalize_line(log)
+          @io.write line
           @io.flush if @flush_immediately
         end
         nil
diff --git a/spec/rackstash/adapters/file_spec.rb b/spec/rackstash/adapters/file_spec.rb
index a1a9531..248b23e 100644
--- a/spec/rackstash/adapters/file_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rackstash/adapters/file_spec.rb
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ describe Rackstash::Adapters::File do
       expect(logfile.tap(&:rewind).read).to eql "a full line.\n"
     end
 
+    it 'ignores empty log lines' do
+      adapter.write('')
+      adapter.write(nil)
+
+      expect(logfile.tap(&:rewind).read).to eql ''
+    end
+
     context 'with auto_reopen: true' do
       let(:adapter_args) { { auto_reopen: true } }
 
diff --git a/spec/rackstash/adapters/io_spec.rb b/spec/rackstash/adapters/io_spec.rb
index 074c243..ec67f24 100644
--- a/spec/rackstash/adapters/io_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rackstash/adapters/io_spec.rb
@@ -77,5 +77,11 @@ describe Rackstash::Adapters::IO do
         adapter.write('bar')
       end
     end
+
+    it 'ignores empty log lines' do
+      expect(io).to_not receive(:write)
+      adapter.write('')
+      adapter.write(nil)
+    end
   end
 end