diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ItemDb.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ItemDb.java
index 0ddaa4f8a..d379de4d2 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ItemDb.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ItemDb.java
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ public class ItemDb implements IConf, net.ess3.api.IItemDb {
             }
 
             Set<ItemFlag> flags = meta.getItemFlags();
-            if (flags != null) {
+            if (flags != null && meta.getItemFlags().size() > 0) {
                 sb.append("itemflags:");
                 boolean first = true;
                 for (ItemFlag flag : flags) {
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
index 7daf11656..bb4e7c03e 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ public class MetaItemStack {
 
     public void addItemFlags(final String string) throws Exception {
         String[] separate = splitPattern.split(string, 2);
-        if(separate.length != 2) {
+        if (separate.length != 2) {
             throw new Exception(tl("invalidItemFlagMeta", string));
         }