diff --git a/actionpack/CHANGELOG b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
index 1dad31d9e6..e65526ff27 100644
--- a/actionpack/CHANGELOG
+++ b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Make auto_link handle nil by returning quickly if blank? [Scott Barron]
+
 * Make auto_link match urls with a port number specified. [Marcel Molina Jr.]
 
 * Added support for toggling visual effects to ScriptaculousHelper::visual_effect, #3323. [Thomas Fuchs]
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb
index 1b1ca386c2..856c997e9a 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ module ActionView
       #     truncate(text, 15)
       #   end
       def auto_link(text, link = :all, href_options = {}, &block)
+        return '' if text.blank?
         case link
           when :all             then auto_link_urls(auto_link_email_addresses(text, &block), href_options, &block)
           when :email_addresses then auto_link_email_addresses(text, &block)
diff --git a/actionpack/test/template/text_helper_test.rb b/actionpack/test/template/text_helper_test.rb
index 37c81e12a6..b323568068 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/template/text_helper_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/template/text_helper_test.rb
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ class TextHelperTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal %(<p>Link #{link4_result}</p>), auto_link("<p>Link #{link4_raw}</p>")
     assert_equal %(<p>#{link4_result} Link</p>), auto_link("<p>#{link4_raw} Link</p>")
     assert_equal %(<p>#{link5_result} Link</p>), auto_link("<p>#{link5_raw} Link</p>")
+    assert_equal '', auto_link(nil)
+    assert_equal '', auto_link('')
   end
 
   def test_auto_link_at_eol