diff --git a/common/gal/stroke_font.cpp b/common/gal/stroke_font.cpp
index f12f9ad80e..31441f5776 100644
--- a/common/gal/stroke_font.cpp
+++ b/common/gal/stroke_font.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ STROKE_FONT::STROKE_FONT( GAL* aGal ) :
     m_gal( aGal ),
     m_bold( false ),
     m_italic( false ),
-    m_mirrored( false )
+    m_mirrored( false ),
+    m_overbar( false )
 {
     // Default values
     m_glyphSize = VECTOR2D( 10.0, 10.0 );
@@ -149,6 +150,9 @@ BOX2D STROKE_FONT::computeBoundingBox( const GLYPH& aGLYPH, const VECTOR2D& aGLY
 
 void STROKE_FONT::Draw( const UTF8& aText, const VECTOR2D& aPosition, double aRotationAngle )
 {
+    if( aText.empty() )
+        return;
+
     // Context needs to be saved before any transformations
     m_gal->Save();
 
diff --git a/include/gal/stroke_font.h b/include/gal/stroke_font.h
index 71b2d421ed..fa16f6f0ac 100644
--- a/include/gal/stroke_font.h
+++ b/include/gal/stroke_font.h
@@ -189,17 +189,13 @@ private:
      * @param aText is the text to be checked.
      * @return unsigned - The number of lines in aText.
      */
-    unsigned linesCount( const UTF8& aText ) const
+    inline unsigned linesCount( const UTF8& aText ) const
     {
-        unsigned lines = 1;
-
-        for( UTF8::const_iterator it = aText.begin(), itEnd = aText.end(); it != itEnd; ++it )
-        {
-            if( *it == '\n' )
-                ++lines;
-        }
-
-        return lines;
+        if( aText.empty() )
+            return 0;   // std::count does not work well with empty strings
+        else
+            // aText.end() - 1 is to skip a newline character that is potentially at the end
+            return std::count( aText.begin(), aText.end() - 1, '\n' ) + 1;
     }
 
     ///> Factor that determines relative height of overbar.
@@ -208,7 +204,7 @@ private:
     ///> Factor that determines relative line width for bold text.
     static const double BOLD_FACTOR;
 
-    ///> Scale factor for the glyph
+    ///> Scale factor for a glyph
     static const double HERSHEY_SCALE;
 };
 } // namespace KIGFX