diff --git a/lib/puppet/util/ini_file.rb b/lib/puppet/util/ini_file.rb
index b7529812..3e74ea52 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/util/ini_file.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/util/ini_file.rb
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ def read_section(name, start_line, line_iter)
       end_line_num = start_line
       min_indentation = nil
       empty = true
+      empty_line_count = 0
       loop do
         line, line_num = line_iter.peek
         if line_num.nil? || @section_regex.match(line)
@@ -237,6 +238,8 @@ def read_section(name, start_line, line_iter)
           min_indentation = [indentation, min_indentation || indentation].min
         end
         end_line_num = line_num
+        empty_line_count += 1 if line == "\n"
+
         empty = false
         line_iter.next
       end
diff --git a/lib/puppet/util/ini_file/section.rb b/lib/puppet/util/ini_file/section.rb
index 46e01477..c8ae886a 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/util/ini_file/section.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/util/ini_file/section.rb
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@ class Section
     #    `end_line` of `nil`.
     #  * `start_line` and `end_line` will be set to `nil` for a new non-global
     #    section.
-    def initialize(name, start_line, end_line, settings, indentation)
+    def initialize(name, start_line, end_line, settings, indentation, empty_line_count = 0)
       @name = name
       @start_line = start_line
       @end_line = end_line
       @existing_settings = settings.nil? ? {} : settings
       @additional_settings = {}
       @indentation = indentation
+      @empty_line_count = empty_line_count
     end
 
     attr_reader :name, :start_line, :end_line, :additional_settings, :indentation
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ def existing_setting?(setting_name)
     # the global section is empty whenever it's new;
     # other sections are empty when they have no lines
     def empty?
-      global? ? new_section? : start_line == end_line
+      global? ? new_section? : (start_line == end_line || (end_line && end_line - @empty_line_count) == start_line)
     end
 
     def update_existing_setting(setting_name, value)