diff --git a/lib/processors/manifestCreator.js b/lib/processors/manifestCreator.js
index 411336dca..4e81d61ef 100644
--- a/lib/processors/manifestCreator.js
+++ b/lib/processors/manifestCreator.js
@@ -347,10 +347,9 @@ async function createManifest(libraryResource, libBundle, descriptorVersion, _in
 
 			return osComponents.length > 0 ? osComponents : undefined;
 		}
-		const i18nAppData = findChild(manifestAppData, "i18n");
+		const i18nText = getChildTextContent(manifestAppData, "i18n");
 		let i18n;
-		if (i18nAppData) {
-			const i18nText = i18nAppData._; // text content
+		if (typeof i18nText === "string") {
 			i18n = createI18nSection(i18nText, i18nToSupportedLocales);
 			log.verbose(`sap.app/i18n taken from .library appData: '%s'`, i18nText);
 		}
@@ -487,10 +486,8 @@ async function createManifest(libraryResource, libBundle, descriptorVersion, _in
 			// - from .library/appData/manifest/sap.ui5/library/i18n
 			// - from library resources (if "messagebundle.properties" exists)
 			function i18n() {
-				const i18nElement = findChild(libraryAppData, "i18n");
-				let i18n = null;
-				if ( i18nElement ) {
-					i18n = i18nElement._; // text content
+				let i18n = getChildTextContent(libraryAppData, "i18n");
+				if ( typeof i18n === "string") {
 					if ( i18n === "false" ) {
 						return false;
 					} else if ( i18n === "true" ) {
@@ -505,6 +502,9 @@ async function createManifest(libraryResource, libBundle, descriptorVersion, _in
 						return false;
 					}
 				}
+				if (i18n === undefined) {
+					return false;
+				}
 				return createI18nSection(i18n, i18nToSupportedLocales);
 			}
 
@@ -568,8 +568,8 @@ async function createManifest(libraryResource, libBundle, descriptorVersion, _in
 	 *   <code>null</code> if given i18n String is <code>null</code>
 	 */
 	function createI18nSection(i18n, i18nToSupportedLocales) {
-		if (!i18n) {
-			return null;
+		if (i18n === undefined) {
+			return undefined;
 		}
 		if (!i18n.endsWith(".properties")) {
 			return i18n;
diff --git a/test/lib/processors/manifestCreator.js b/test/lib/processors/manifestCreator.js
index 5d1ac313e..e30011fab 100644
--- a/test/lib/processors/manifestCreator.js
+++ b/test/lib/processors/manifestCreator.js
@@ -137,6 +137,52 @@ test.serial("default manifest creation", async (t) => {
 	t.is(await result.getString(), expectedManifestContent, "Correct result returned");
 });
 
+test.serial("default manifest creation i18n empty string", async (t) => {
+	const {manifestCreator, errorLogStub} = t.context;
+	const prefix = "/resources/sap/ui/mine/";
+	const libraryResource = {
+		getPath: () => {
+			return prefix + ".library";
+		},
+		getString: async () => {
+			return `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
+				<library xmlns="http://www.sap.com/sap.ui.library.xsd" >
+					<name>library.e</name>
+					<vendor>SAP SE</vendor>
+					<copyright>my copyright</copyright>
+					<version>1.0.0</version>
+					<documentation>Library E</documentation>
+				
+					<dependencies>
+					    <dependency>
+					      <libraryName>sap.ui.core</libraryName>
+					    </dependency>
+					</dependencies>
+					
+					<appData>
+						<manifest xmlns="http://www.sap.com/ui5/buildext/manifest">
+							<i18n></i18n>
+						</manifest>
+					</appData>
+				</library>`;
+		},
+		_project: {
+			dependencies: [{
+				metadata: {
+					name: "sap.ui.core"
+				}
+			}]
+		}
+	};
+
+	t.is(errorLogStub.callCount, 0);
+	const expectedManifestContentObjectModified = expectedManifestContentObject();
+	expectedManifestContentObjectModified["sap.app"]["i18n"] = "";
+	const expectedManifestContent = JSON.stringify(expectedManifestContentObjectModified, null, 2);
+	const result = await manifestCreator({libraryResource, resources: [], options: {}});
+	t.is(await result.getString(), expectedManifestContent, "Correct result returned");
+});
+
 test.serial("default manifest creation with special characters", async (t) => {
 	const {manifestCreator, errorLogStub} = t.context;
 	const prefix = "/resources/sap/ui/mine/";