diff --git a/datasette/views/table.py b/datasette/views/table.py
index 89dec455..07ff6bb7 100644
--- a/datasette/views/table.py
+++ b/datasette/views/table.py
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ class RowTableShared(BaseView):
                         id=str(jinja2.escape(value)),
                         label=str(jinja2.escape(label)),
                     ))
-                elif value is None:
+                elif value in ("", None):
                     display_value = jinja2.Markup(" ")
                 elif is_url(str(value).strip()):
                     display_value = jinja2.Markup(
diff --git a/tests/test_html.py b/tests/test_html.py
index c3429298..ee9d3c41 100644
--- a/tests/test_html.py
+++ b/tests/test_html.py
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ def test_table_html_simple_primary_key(app_client):
             '<td class="col-content">world</td>'
         ], [
             '<td class="col-id"><a href="/fixtures/simple_primary_key/3">3</a></td>',
-            '<td class="col-content"></td>'
+            '<td class="col-content">\xa0</td>'
         ]
     ] == [[str(td) for td in tr.select('td')] for tr in table.select('tbody tr')]
 
@@ -585,8 +585,8 @@ def test_view_html(app_client):
             '<td class="col-content">world</td>',
             '<td class="col-upper_content">WORLD</td>'
         ], [
-            '<td class="col-content"></td>',
-            '<td class="col-upper_content"></td>'
+            '<td class="col-content">\xa0</td>',
+            '<td class="col-upper_content">\xa0</td>'
         ]
     ]
     assert expected == [[str(td) for td in tr.select('td')] for tr in table.select('tbody tr')]