diff --git a/_includes/home-hero.html b/_includes/home-hero.html
index 520d695d8..3f22747ce 100644
--- a/_includes/home-hero.html
+++ b/_includes/home-hero.html
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@
 
         <div class="hero-content">
 
-          {% if site.title != '' %}
+          {% if site.title != empty and site.title != nil %}
           <h1 class="text-center">{{site.title}}</h1>
           {% endif %}
 
-          {% if site.description != '' or site.enable_contact == true %}
+          {% if site.description != empty and site.description != nil or site.enable_contact == true %}
           <p class="text-center">
-            {% if site.description != '' %}
+            {% if site.description != empty and site.description != nil  %}
             {{site.description}}
             {% endif %}
 
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ <h1 class="text-center">{{site.title}}</h1>
 
           <div class="hero-buttons">
 
-            {% if site.twitter_username != '' %}
+            {% if site.twitter_username != empty and site.twitter_username != nil %}
               <a href="https://twitter.com/{{ site.twitter_username }}"><button class="btn btn-default btn-lg"><i class="fa fa-twitter fa-lg"></i>Twitter</button></a>
             {% endif %}
-            {% if site.github_username != '' %}
+            {% if site.github_username != empty and site.github_username != nil %}
               <a href="https://github.com/{{ site.github_username }}"><button class="btn btn-default btn-lg"><i class="fa fa-github fa-lg"></i>Github</button></a>
             {% endif %}
-            {% if site.medium_username != '' %}
+            {% if site.medium_username != empty and site.medium_username != nil %}
               <a href="https://{{ site.medium_username }}"><button class="btn btn-default btn-lg"><i class="fa fa-medium fa-lg"></i>Medium</button></a>
             {% endif %}
 
diff --git a/_includes/post-content.html b/_includes/post-content.html
index 48d60aa60..9156b3f83 100644
--- a/_includes/post-content.html
+++ b/_includes/post-content.html
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ <h3 class="title">{{ post.title }}</h3>
 
   <p class="excerpt">{{ post.lead_text }}</p>
 
-  {% if post.project_link != empty %}
+  {% if post.project_link != empty and project.link != nil %}
   <a href="{{ post.project_link }}" class="project-link"><button class="btn btn-default btn-lg"><i class="fa fa-{{post.button_icon}} fa-lg"></i>{{post.button_text}}</button></a>
   {% endif %}
 
diff --git a/_layouts/home.html b/_layouts/home.html
index 9b4e9fbf1..cba2ab2cc 100644
--- a/_layouts/home.html
+++ b/_layouts/home.html
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@
         <div class="row">
           <div class="col-md-12">
 
-            {% if site.section_title != '' %}
+            {% if site.section_title != empty and site.section_title != nil %}
             <h2 class="section-title text-center">{{ site.section_title }}</h2>
             {% endif %}
-            {% if site.section_subtitle != '' %}
+            {% if site.section_subtitle != empty and site.section_subtitle != nil %}
             <p class="section-subtitle text-center">{{ site.section_subtitle }}</p>
             {% endif %}