Json codec: blank lines make logstash throw errors

Elastic Stack Logstash
1

A blank line in a json log makes logstash throw an error:

:message=>"JSON codec is expecting array or object/map", :data=>"", :level=>:error

since upgrade to logstash 2.3.4
Is this a bug or a feature?
I'd prefer if blank lines got ignored.

2

I got the same error whether I used the json codec in my input config or in my filter config.

Here's a workaround. It's not pretty, but it works (for me, at least).

Don't use the json codec in the file input config.
Use an if/else clause in your filter plugin to drop blank lines.  ref: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/28457936/how-can-i-drop-an-empty-line-in-logstash

filter {
    if [message] =~ /^\s*$/ { drop { } }
    else {

        json { source => "message" }

        [the rest of your config]

    }
}

The result is no errors, but you will get the annoying "Parsed JSON object/hash requires a target configuration option" warnings.

Hope this helps.