diff --git a/liberty-ls/src/main/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/diagnostic/LibertyPropertiesDiagnosticService.java b/liberty-ls/src/main/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/diagnostic/LibertyPropertiesDiagnosticService.java
index 00762626..80058397 100644
--- a/liberty-ls/src/main/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/diagnostic/LibertyPropertiesDiagnosticService.java
+++ b/liberty-ls/src/main/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/diagnostic/LibertyPropertiesDiagnosticService.java
@@ -49,9 +49,12 @@ public Map<String, PropertiesValidationResult> compute(String text, LibertyTextD
             int lineNumber = 0;
             try {
                 while ((line=br.readLine()) != null) {
-                    PropertiesValidationResult validationResult = PropertiesValidationResult.validateServerProperty(line, openedDocument, lineNumber);
-                    if (validationResult.hasErrors()) {
-                        errors.put(line, validationResult);
+                    //blank line is being ignored
+                    if(!line.isBlank()) {
+                        PropertiesValidationResult validationResult = PropertiesValidationResult.validateServerProperty(line, openedDocument, lineNumber);
+                        if (validationResult.hasErrors()) {
+                            errors.put(line, validationResult);
+                        }
                     }
                     lineNumber++;
                 }
diff --git a/liberty-ls/src/main/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/utils/PropertiesValidationResult.java b/liberty-ls/src/main/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/utils/PropertiesValidationResult.java
index f6183699..f6f960ab 100644
--- a/liberty-ls/src/main/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/utils/PropertiesValidationResult.java
+++ b/liberty-ls/src/main/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/utils/PropertiesValidationResult.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public void validateServerProperty() {
         
         // check whitespace around equal sign (=)
         if (LibertyConfigFileManager.isServerEnvFile(textDocumentItem)) {
-            if (property.endsWith(" ") || value.startsWith(" ")) {
+            if ((property != null && property.endsWith(" ")) || (value != null && value.startsWith(" "))) {
                 startChar = property.trim().length();
                 endChar = entry.getLineContent().length() - value.trim().length();
                 hasErrors = true;
diff --git a/liberty-ls/src/test/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/diagnostic/ServerEnvDiagnosticTest.java b/liberty-ls/src/test/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/diagnostic/ServerEnvDiagnosticTest.java
index aebc8b72..84547c97 100644
--- a/liberty-ls/src/test/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/diagnostic/ServerEnvDiagnosticTest.java
+++ b/liberty-ls/src/test/java/io/openliberty/tools/langserver/diagnostic/ServerEnvDiagnosticTest.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public void testServerEnv() throws Exception {
             // Checking invalid whitespace before equal sign: WLP_DEBUG_REMOTE =n
             createRange(4,16,18),
             // Checking invalid whitespace after equal sign: WLP_LOGGING_MESSAGE_FORMAT= SIMPLE
-            createRange(5,26,28)  
+            createRange(7,26,28)
         );
         checkDiagnosticsContainsMessages(
             "The value `asdf` is not valid for the variable `WLP_LOGGING_CONSOLE_FORMAT`.",
diff --git a/liberty-ls/src/test/resources/workspace/diagnostic/src/main/liberty/config/server.env b/liberty-ls/src/test/resources/workspace/diagnostic/src/main/liberty/config/server.env
index 28b3df42..ead7ede8 100644
--- a/liberty-ls/src/test/resources/workspace/diagnostic/src/main/liberty/config/server.env
+++ b/liberty-ls/src/test/resources/workspace/diagnostic/src/main/liberty/config/server.env
@@ -3,4 +3,6 @@ WLP_LOGGING_CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL=iNfO
 WLP_LOGGING_CONSOLE_SOURCE=messagE
 WLP_DEBUG_ADDRESS=-2
 WLP_DEBUG_REMOTE =n
+# adding comment line and blank line to check whether its being ignored
+
 WLP_LOGGING_MESSAGE_FORMAT= SIMPLE
\ No newline at end of file