diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/ant/PMDTask.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/ant/PMDTask.java
index e407bf9a8a..2139e8a144 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/ant/PMDTask.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/ant/PMDTask.java
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.Language;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.LanguageVersion;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.renderers.AbstractRenderer;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.renderers.Renderer;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.IOUtil;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.StringUtil;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.datasource.DataSource;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.datasource.FileDataSource;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.log.AntLogHandler;
@@ -199,15 +201,14 @@ public class PMDTask extends Task {
 		ruleSetFactory.setClassLoader(configuration.getClassLoader());
 		try {
 			// This is just used to validate and display rules. Each thread will create its own ruleset
-			RuleSets rules;
 			ruleSetFactory.setMinimumPriority(configuration.getMinimumPriority());
 			ruleSetFactory.setWarnDeprecated(true);
 			String ruleSets = configuration.getRuleSets();
-			if (ruleSets != null) {
+			if (StringUtil.isNotEmpty(ruleSets)) {
 				// Substitute env variables/properties
 				configuration.setRuleSets(getProject().replaceProperties(ruleSets));
 			}
-			rules = ruleSetFactory.createRuleSets(configuration.getRuleSets());
+			RuleSets rules = ruleSetFactory.createRuleSets(configuration.getRuleSets());
 			ruleSetFactory.setWarnDeprecated(false);
 			logRulesUsed(rules);
 		} catch (RuleSetNotFoundException e) {
@@ -280,6 +281,7 @@ public class PMDTask extends Task {
 					PrintWriter printWriter = new PrintWriter(strWriter);
 					pmde.getCause().printStackTrace(printWriter);
 					log(strWriter.toString(), Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
+					IOUtil.closeQuietly(printWriter);
 				}
 				if (pmde.getCause() != null && pmde.getCause().getMessage() != null) {
 					log(pmde.getCause().getMessage(), Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/comments/CommentContentRule.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/comments/CommentContentRule.java
index 939723212b..cafa4b9dd5 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/comments/CommentContentRule.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/comments/CommentContentRule.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTCompilationUnit;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.Comment;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.rule.properties.BooleanProperty;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.rule.properties.StringMultiProperty;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.CollectionUtil;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.StringUtil;
 
 /**
@@ -136,7 +137,8 @@ public class CommentContentRule extends AbstractCommentRule {
     }
 	
 	public boolean hasDissallowedTerms() {
-		return getProperty(DISSALLOWED_TERMS_DESCRIPTOR).length > 0;
+		String[] terms = getProperty(DISSALLOWED_TERMS_DESCRIPTOR);
+		return CollectionUtil.isNotEmpty(terms);
 	}
 	
 	public String dysfunctionReason() {
diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/coupling/LoosePackageCouplingRule.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/coupling/LoosePackageCouplingRule.java
index d5ba7a6d97..8789e22bab 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/coupling/LoosePackageCouplingRule.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/coupling/LoosePackageCouplingRule.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTImportDeclaration;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTPackageDeclaration;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.rule.AbstractJavaRule;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.rule.properties.StringMultiProperty;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.CollectionUtil;
 
 /**
  * The loose package coupling Rule can be used to ensure coupling outside of
@@ -32,10 +33,10 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.rule.properties.StringMultiProperty;
  */
 public class LoosePackageCouplingRule extends AbstractJavaRule {
 
-    private static final StringMultiProperty PACKAGES_DESCRIPTOR = new StringMultiProperty("packages", "Restricted packages",
+    public static final StringMultiProperty PACKAGES_DESCRIPTOR = new StringMultiProperty("packages", "Restricted packages",
 	    new String[] {}, 1.0f, ',');
 
-    private static final StringMultiProperty CLASSES_DESCRIPTOR = new StringMultiProperty("classes", "Allowed classes",
+    public static final StringMultiProperty CLASSES_DESCRIPTOR = new StringMultiProperty("classes", "Allowed classes",
 	    new String[] {}, 2.0f, ',');
 
     // The package of this source file
@@ -122,11 +123,11 @@ public class LoosePackageCouplingRule extends AbstractJavaRule {
 	return false;
     }
     
-    
 	public boolean checksNothing() {
 		
-		return getProperty(PACKAGES_DESCRIPTOR).length == 0 &&
-			getProperty(CLASSES_DESCRIPTOR).length == 0 ;		
+		return 
+			CollectionUtil.isEmpty(getProperty(PACKAGES_DESCRIPTOR)) &&
+			CollectionUtil.isEmpty(getProperty(CLASSES_DESCRIPTOR)) ;		
 	}
 	
 	public String dysfunctionReason() {