diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Gettext/PoItem.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Gettext/PoItem.php
index 599a58a..3730c06 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Gettext/PoItem.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Gettext/PoItem.php
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ private function formatPlural() {
   private function formatSingular() {
     $output = '';
     $output .= 'msgid '. $this->formatString($this->_source);
-    $output .= 'msgstr '. (isset($this->_translation) ? $this->formatString($this->_translation) : '');
+    $output .= 'msgstr '. (isset($this->_translation) ? $this->formatString($this->_translation) : '""');
     return $output;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/locale/lib/Drupal/locale/Tests/LocaleExportTest.php b/core/modules/locale/lib/Drupal/locale/Tests/LocaleExportTest.php
index 954e74d..1ba2bda 100644
--- a/core/modules/locale/lib/Drupal/locale/Tests/LocaleExportTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/locale/lib/Drupal/locale/Tests/LocaleExportTest.php
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ function testExportTranslation() {
     $this->assertRaw('# French translation of Drupal', t('Exported French translation file with only untranslated strings.'));
     // Ensure no customized translations exist in the file.
     $this->assertNoRaw('msgstr "janvier"', t('French custom translation not present in exported file.'));
-    // Ensure the untranslated strings exist in the file.
-    $this->assertRaw('msgid "February"', t('Untranslated string present in exported file.'));
+    // Ensure the untranslated strings exist in the file, and with right quotes.
+    $this->assertRaw($this->getEmptyPoTranslation(), t('Empty string present in exported file.'));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -168,4 +168,11 @@ function getCustomPoFile() {
 EOF;
   }
 
+  function getEmptyPoTranslation() {
+    return <<< EOF
+msgid "February"
+msgstr ""
+EOF;
+  }
+
 }