diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/HtmlHelper.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/HtmlHelper.java
index e981eae10d..54a748a6af 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/HtmlHelper.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/HtmlHelper.java
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ public class HtmlHelper {
                                 break;
 
                             case "padding-top":
-                                if (element.isBlock()) {
+                                if (element.isBlock() && hasVisibleContent(element.childNodes())) {
                                     Float pt = getFontSize(value, null);
                                     if (pt != null && pt >= 0.5)
                                         element.attr("line", "before");
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ public class HtmlHelper {
                                 break;
 
                             case "padding-bottom":
-                                if (element.isBlock()) {
+                                if (element.isBlock() && hasVisibleContent(element.childNodes())) {
                                     Float pb = getFontSize(value, null);
                                     if (pb != null && pb >= 0.5)
                                         element.attr("line", "after");
@@ -798,12 +798,10 @@ public class HtmlHelper {
         for (Element div : document.select("div"))
             div.tagName("span");
 
-        for (Element e : document.select("*[line=before]"))
-            if (hasVisibleContent(e.childNodes()))
+        for (Element e : document.select("*[line]"))
+            if ("before".equals(e.attr("line")))
                 e.prependElement("br");
-
-        for (Element e : document.select("*[line=after]"))
-            if (hasVisibleContent(e.childNodes()))
+            else
                 e.appendElement("br");
 
         if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.N)