diff --git a/actionpack/CHANGELOG b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
index c683552548..db41b582cc 100644
--- a/actionpack/CHANGELOG
+++ b/actionpack/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Allow assert_tag(:conditions) to match the empty string when a tag has no children. Closes #2959. [Jamis Buck]
+
 * Update html-scanner to handle CDATA sections better. Closes #2970. [Jamis Buck]
 
 * Don't put flash in session if sessions are disabled.  [Jeremy Kemper]
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/node.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/node.rb
index fb961570c4..218db80823 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/node.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/node.rb
@@ -412,7 +412,13 @@ def match(conditions)
       conditions = validate_conditions(conditions)
 
       # check content of child nodes
-      return false unless children.find { |child| child.match(conditions[:content]) } if conditions[:content]
+      if conditions[:content]
+        if children.empty?
+          return false unless match_condition("", conditions[:content])
+        else
+          return false unless children.find { |child| child.match(conditions[:content]) }
+        end
+      end
 
       # test the name
       return false unless match_condition(@name, conditions[:tag]) if conditions[:tag]
diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/version.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/version.rb
index 99a8d5766c..6d645c3e14 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/version.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_controller/vendor/html-scanner/html/version.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ module Version #:nodoc:
 
     MAJOR = 0
     MINOR = 5
-    TINY  = 2
+    TINY  = 3
 
     STRING = [ MAJOR, MINOR, TINY ].join(".")