diff --git a/Util/include/Poco/Util/XMLConfiguration.h b/Util/include/Poco/Util/XMLConfiguration.h
index 43721015d..99e1ba180 100644
--- a/Util/include/Poco/Util/XMLConfiguration.h
+++ b/Util/include/Poco/Util/XMLConfiguration.h
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@ class Util_API XMLConfiguration: public AbstractConfiguration
 {
 public:
 	XMLConfiguration();
-		/// Creates an empty XMLConfiguration.
+		/// Creates an empty XMLConfiguration with a "config" root element.
 
 	XMLConfiguration(char delim);
-		/// Creates an empty XMLConfiguration, using the given
-		/// delimiter char instead of the default '.'.
+		/// Creates an empty XMLConfiguration with a "config" root element,
+		/// using the given delimiter char instead of the default '.'.
 
 	XMLConfiguration(Poco::XML::InputSource* pInputSource);
 		/// Creates an XMLConfiguration and loads the XML document from
diff --git a/Util/src/XMLConfiguration.cpp b/Util/src/XMLConfiguration.cpp
index 8cf057ced..23e875620 100644
--- a/Util/src/XMLConfiguration.cpp
+++ b/Util/src/XMLConfiguration.cpp
@@ -39,12 +39,14 @@ namespace Util {
 XMLConfiguration::XMLConfiguration():
 	_delim('.')
 {
+	loadEmpty("config");
 }
 
 
 XMLConfiguration::XMLConfiguration(char delim):
 	_delim(delim)
 {
+	loadEmpty("config");
 }
 
 
diff --git a/Util/testsuite/src/XMLConfigurationTest.cpp b/Util/testsuite/src/XMLConfigurationTest.cpp
index 7f3f0862c..45e17e0cb 100644
--- a/Util/testsuite/src/XMLConfigurationTest.cpp
+++ b/Util/testsuite/src/XMLConfigurationTest.cpp
@@ -272,6 +272,36 @@ AbstractConfiguration* XMLConfigurationTest::allocConfiguration() const
 }
 
 
+void XMLConfigurationTest::testSaveEmpty()
+{
+	Poco::AutoPtr<XMLConfiguration> pConfig = new XMLConfiguration;
+	std::ostringstream ostr;
+	pConfig->save(ostr);
+	assert (ostr.str() == "<config/>\n");
+}
+
+
+void XMLConfigurationTest::testFromScratch()
+{
+	Poco::AutoPtr<XMLConfiguration> pConfig = new XMLConfiguration;
+	pConfig->setString("foo", "bar");
+	std::ostringstream ostr;
+	pConfig->save(ostr);
+	assert (ostr.str() == "<config>\n\t<foo>bar</foo>\n</config>\n");
+}
+
+
+void XMLConfigurationTest::testLoadEmpty()
+{
+	Poco::AutoPtr<XMLConfiguration> pConfig = new XMLConfiguration;
+	pConfig->loadEmpty("AppConfig");
+	pConfig->setString("foo", "bar");
+	std::ostringstream ostr;
+	pConfig->save(ostr);
+	assert (ostr.str() == "<AppConfig>\n\t<foo>bar</foo>\n</AppConfig>\n");
+}
+
+
 void XMLConfigurationTest::setUp()
 {
 }
@@ -291,6 +321,9 @@ CppUnit::Test* XMLConfigurationTest::suite()
 	CppUnit_addTest(pSuite, XMLConfigurationTest, testSave);
 	CppUnit_addTest(pSuite, XMLConfigurationTest, testLoadAppendSave);
 	CppUnit_addTest(pSuite, XMLConfigurationTest, testOtherDelimiter);
+	CppUnit_addTest(pSuite, XMLConfigurationTest, testSaveEmpty);
+	CppUnit_addTest(pSuite, XMLConfigurationTest, testFromScratch);
+	CppUnit_addTest(pSuite, XMLConfigurationTest, testLoadEmpty);
 
 	return pSuite;
 }
diff --git a/Util/testsuite/src/XMLConfigurationTest.h b/Util/testsuite/src/XMLConfigurationTest.h
index 799918f9c..c77a4d759 100644
--- a/Util/testsuite/src/XMLConfigurationTest.h
+++ b/Util/testsuite/src/XMLConfigurationTest.h
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ public:
 	void testSave();
 	void testLoadAppendSave();
 	void testOtherDelimiter();
+	void testSaveEmpty();
+	void testFromScratch();
+	void testLoadEmpty();
 
 	void setUp();
 	void tearDown();