diff --git a/new/print.jam b/new/print.jam
index 6019477e8..dfcbf977c 100644
--- a/new/print.jam
+++ b/new/print.jam
@@ -318,7 +318,9 @@ rule text (
             }
         }
     }
-    else if $(output-target)
+    # We ignore empty output because the Windows ECHO command is
+    # braindamaged. It doesn't have any facility for echoing a blank line.
+    else if $(output-target) && $(strings)
     {
         if ! $($(output-target).did-action)
         {
diff --git a/v2/util/print.jam b/v2/util/print.jam
index 6019477e8..dfcbf977c 100644
--- a/v2/util/print.jam
+++ b/v2/util/print.jam
@@ -318,7 +318,9 @@ rule text (
             }
         }
     }
-    else if $(output-target)
+    # We ignore empty output because the Windows ECHO command is
+    # braindamaged. It doesn't have any facility for echoing a blank line.
+    else if $(output-target) && $(strings)
     {
         if ! $($(output-target).did-action)
         {