diff --git a/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsEntry.java b/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsEntry.java
index 104d777cf3..94d77501d5 100644
--- a/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsEntry.java
+++ b/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsEntry.java
@@ -317,9 +317,6 @@ public class DnsEntry {
         if (name == null) {
             throw new NullPointerException("name");
         }
-        if (name.isEmpty()) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("name must not be left blank.");
-        }
         if ((type & 0xffff) != type) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("type must be an unsigned short.");
         }
diff --git a/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsQuestion.java b/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsQuestion.java
index 61721c87af..05ea266227 100644
--- a/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsQuestion.java
+++ b/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsQuestion.java
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ public final class DnsQuestion extends DnsEntry {
      */
     public DnsQuestion(String name, int type, int qClass) {
         super(name, type, qClass);
+
+        if (name.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("name must not be left blank.");
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsResponseDecoder.java b/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsResponseDecoder.java
index ea89379534..3b52a9ca9d 100644
--- a/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsResponseDecoder.java
+++ b/codec-dns/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsResponseDecoder.java
@@ -110,8 +110,9 @@ public class DnsResponseDecoder extends MessageToMessageDecoder<DatagramPacket>
             buf.readerIndex(position);
         }
         if (name.length() == 0) {
-            return null;
+            return "";
         }
+
         return name.substring(0, name.length() - 1);
     }
 
diff --git a/codec-dns/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsResponseTest.java b/codec-dns/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsResponseTest.java
index 45895c17a1..8e205462ad 100644
--- a/codec-dns/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsResponseTest.java
+++ b/codec-dns/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/dns/DnsResponseTest.java
@@ -31,20 +31,42 @@ import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 public class DnsResponseTest {
 
     private static final byte[][] packets = {
-            { 0, 1, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 119, 119, 119, 7, 101, 120, 97, 109, 112, 108, 101, 3, 99,
-                    111, 109, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, -64, 12, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 16, -113, 0, 4, -64, 0, 43, 10 },
-            { 0, 1, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 119, 119, 119, 7, 101, 120, 97, 109, 112, 108, 101, 3, 99,
-                    111, 109, 0, 0, 28, 0, 1, -64, 12, 0, 28, 0, 1, 0, 0, 69, -8, 0, 16, 32, 1, 5, 0, 0, -120, 2, 0, 0,
-                    0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 16 },
-            { 0, 2, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 3, 119, 119, 119, 7, 101, 120, 97, 109, 112, 108, 101, 3, 99,
-                    111, 109, 0, 0, 15, 0, 1, -64, 16, 0, 6, 0, 1, 0, 0, 3, -43, 0, 45, 3, 115, 110, 115, 3, 100, 110,
-                    115, 5, 105, 99, 97, 110, 110, 3, 111, 114, 103, 0, 3, 110, 111, 99, -64, 49, 119, -4, 39, 112, 0,
-                    0, 28, 32, 0, 0, 14, 16, 0, 18, 117, 0, 0, 0, 14, 16 },
-            { 0, 3, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 119, 119, 119, 7, 101, 120, 97, 109, 112, 108, 101, 3, 99,
-                    111, 109, 0, 0, 16, 0, 1, -64, 12, 0, 16, 0, 1, 0, 0, 84, 75, 0, 12, 11, 118, 61, 115, 112, 102,
-                    49, 32, 45, 97, 108, 108 } };
+            {
+                    0, 1, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 119, 119, 119, 7, 101, 120, 97, 109, 112, 108, 101, 3,
+                    99, 111, 109, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, -64, 12, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 16, -113, 0, 4, -64, 0, 43, 10
+            },
+            {
+                    0, 1, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 119, 119, 119, 7, 101, 120, 97, 109, 112, 108, 101, 3,
+                    99, 111, 109, 0, 0, 28, 0, 1, -64, 12, 0, 28, 0, 1, 0, 0, 69, -8, 0, 16, 32, 1, 5, 0, 0, -120, 2,
+                    0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 16
+            },
+            {
+                    0, 2, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 3, 119, 119, 119, 7, 101, 120, 97, 109, 112, 108, 101, 3,
+                    99, 111, 109, 0, 0, 15, 0, 1, -64, 16, 0, 6, 0, 1, 0, 0, 3, -43, 0, 45, 3, 115, 110, 115, 3, 100,
+                    110, 115, 5, 105, 99, 97, 110, 110, 3, 111, 114, 103, 0, 3, 110, 111, 99, -64, 49, 119, -4, 39,
+                    112, 0, 0, 28, 32, 0, 0, 14, 16, 0, 18, 117, 0, 0, 0, 14, 16
+            },
+            {
+                    0, 3, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 119, 119, 119, 7, 101, 120, 97, 109, 112, 108, 101, 3,
+                    99, 111, 109, 0, 0, 16, 0, 1, -64, 12, 0, 16, 0, 1, 0, 0, 84, 75, 0, 12, 11, 118, 61, 115, 112,
+                    102, 49, 32, 45, 97, 108, 108
+            },
+            {
+                    -105, 19, -127, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 13, 0, 0, 2, 104, 112, 11, 116, 105, 109, 98, 111, 117, 100, 114,
+                    101, 97, 117, 3, 111, 114, 103, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 20, 1, 68, 12, 82,
+                    79, 79, 84, 45, 83, 69, 82, 86, 69, 82, 83, 3, 78, 69, 84, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 4, 1,
+                    70, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 4, 1, 69, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 4,
+                    1, 75, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 4, 1, 67, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0,
+                    4, 1, 76, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 4, 1, 71, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0,
+                    0, 4, 1, 73, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 4, 1, 66, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23,
+                    0, 0, 4, 1, 77, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 4, 1, 65, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7,
+                    -23, 0, 0, 4, 1, 72, -64, 49, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 7, -23, 0, 0, 4, 1, 74, -64, 49
+            }
+    };
 
-    private static final byte[] malformedLoopPacket = { 0, 4, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, -64, 12, 0, 1, 0, 1 };
+    private static final byte[] malformedLoopPacket = {
+            0, 4, -127, -128, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, -64, 12, 0, 1, 0, 1
+    };
 
     @Test
     public void readResponseTest() throws Exception {