diff --git a/org.springframework.web.portlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/portlet/ModelAndView.java b/org.springframework.web.portlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/portlet/ModelAndView.java
index 26986de6b08..8d46a58c89a 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.portlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/portlet/ModelAndView.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.portlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/portlet/ModelAndView.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2008 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2009 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.springframework.web.portlet;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.springframework.ui.ModelMap;
+import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
 
 /**
  * Holder for both Model and View in the web MVC framework.
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ public class ModelAndView {
 	/**
 	 * Indicates whether or not this instance has been cleared with a call to {@link #clear()}.
 	 */
-	private boolean cleared;
+	private boolean cleared = false;
 
 
 	/**
@@ -266,11 +267,11 @@ public class ModelAndView {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Return whether this ModelAndView object is empty
+	 * Return whether this ModelAndView object is empty,
 	 * i.e. whether it does not hold any view and does not contain a model.
 	 */
 	public boolean isEmpty() {
-		return (this.view == null && this.model == null);
+		return (this.view == null && CollectionUtils.isEmpty(this.model));
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/org.springframework.web.portlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/portlet/handler/WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter.java b/org.springframework.web.portlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/portlet/handler/WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter.java
index a29cd0578ec..23155e87070 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.portlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/portlet/handler/WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.portlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/portlet/handler/WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2008 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2009 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ public class WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter implements HandlerInterceptor {
 			RenderRequest request, RenderResponse response, Object handler, ModelAndView modelAndView) throws Exception {
 
 		this.requestInterceptor.postHandle(new PortletWebRequest(request),
-				(modelAndView != null ? modelAndView.getModelMap() : null));
+				(modelAndView != null && !modelAndView.wasCleared() ? modelAndView.getModelMap() : null));
 	}
 
 	public void afterRenderCompletion(
diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/ModelAndView.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/ModelAndView.java
index 5a6fd426d81..f4d4a6742ba 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/ModelAndView.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/ModelAndView.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2008 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2009 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.springframework.web.servlet;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.springframework.ui.ModelMap;
+import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
 
 /**
  * Holder for both Model and View in the web MVC framework.
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ public class ModelAndView {
 	/**
 	 * Indicates whether or not this instance has been cleared with a call to {@link #clear()}.
 	 */
-	private boolean cleared;
+	private boolean cleared = false;
 
 
 	/**
@@ -267,17 +268,17 @@ public class ModelAndView {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Return whether this ModelAndView object is empty
+	 * Return whether this ModelAndView object is empty,
 	 * i.e. whether it does not hold any view and does not contain a model.
 	 */
 	public boolean isEmpty() {
-		return (this.view == null && this.model == null);
+		return (this.view == null && CollectionUtils.isEmpty(this.model));
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Return whether this ModelAndView object is empty as a result of a call to {@link #clear}
 	 * i.e. whether it does not hold any view and does not contain a model.
-	 * Returns <code>false</code> if any additional state was added to the instance
+	 * <p>Returns <code>false</code> if any additional state was added to the instance
 	 * <strong>after</strong> the call to {@link #clear}.
 	 * @see #clear()
 	 */
diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/handler/WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/handler/WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter.java
index b1f5ea31815..1fe0976d277 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/handler/WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/handler/WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2006 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2009 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public class WebRequestHandlerInterceptorAdapter implements HandlerInterceptor {
 			throws Exception {
 
 		this.requestInterceptor.postHandle(new DispatcherServletWebRequest(request),
-				(modelAndView != null ? modelAndView.getModelMap() : null));
+				(modelAndView != null && !modelAndView.wasCleared() ? modelAndView.getModelMap() : null));
 	}
 
 	public void afterCompletion(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response, Object handler, Exception ex)