diff --git a/lib/coffee-script.js b/lib/coffee-script.js
index 40fa4dec..04620e18 100755
--- a/lib/coffee-script.js
+++ b/lib/coffee-script.js
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@
     if (options == null) {
       options = {};
     }
+    if (!(code = code.trim())) {
+      return;
+    }
     sandbox = options.sandbox;
     if (!sandbox) {
       sandbox = {
@@ -88,7 +91,7 @@
       o[k] = v;
     }
     o.bare = true;
-    js = compile("_=(" + (code.trim()) + "\n)", o);
+    js = compile("_=(" + code + "\n)", o);
     return vm.runInNewContext(js, sandbox, sandbox.__filename);
   };
   lexer = new Lexer;
diff --git a/src/coffee-script.coffee b/src/coffee-script.coffee
index 0475075b..9c6c2e6d 100755
--- a/src/coffee-script.coffee
+++ b/src/coffee-script.coffee
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ exports.run = (code, options) ->
 # Compile and evaluate a string of CoffeeScript (in a Node.js-like environment).
 # The CoffeeScript REPL uses this to run the input.
 exports.eval = (code, options = {}) ->
+  return unless code = code.trim()
   sandbox = options.sandbox
   unless sandbox
     sandbox =
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ exports.eval = (code, options = {}) ->
   sandbox.__dirname  = path.dirname sandbox.__filename
   o = {}; o[k] = v for k, v of options
   o.bare = on # ensure return value
-  js = compile "_=(#{code.trim()}\n)", o
+  js = compile "_=(#{code}\n)", o
   vm.runInNewContext js, sandbox, sandbox.__filename
 
 # Instantiate a Lexer for our use here.