diff --git a/.bzrignore b/.bzrignore
index 01c96078a..9fa1b4bb0 100644
--- a/.bzrignore
+++ b/.bzrignore
@@ -45,3 +45,4 @@ tags
 output
 htmlcov
 openlp-test-projectordb.sqlite
+.cache
diff --git a/openlp/core/version.py b/openlp/core/version.py
index a6aabec84..7b564bf8e 100644
--- a/openlp/core/version.py
+++ b/openlp/core/version.py
@@ -75,13 +75,11 @@ class VersionWorker(QtCore.QObject):
         * If a version number's minor version is an even number, it is a stable release.
         """
         log.debug('VersionWorker - Start')
-        # I'm not entirely sure why this was here, I'm commenting it out until I hit the same scenario
-        time.sleep(1)
-        download_url = 'http://www.openlp.org/files/version.txt'
+        download_url = 'https://www.openlp.org/files/version.txt'
         if self.current_version['build']:
-            download_url = 'http://www.openlp.org/files/nightly_version.txt'
+            download_url = 'https://www.openlp.org/files/nightly_version.txt'
         elif int(self.current_version['version'].split('.')[1]) % 2 != 0:
-            download_url = 'http://www.openlp.org/files/dev_version.txt'
+            download_url = 'https://www.openlp.org/files/dev_version.txt'
         headers = {
             'User-Agent': 'OpenLP/{version} {system}/{release}; '.format(version=self.current_version['full'],
                                                                          system=platform.system(),
@@ -92,7 +90,7 @@ class VersionWorker(QtCore.QObject):
         while retries < 3:
             try:
                 response = requests.get(download_url, headers=headers)
-                remote_version = response.text
+                remote_version = response.text.strip()
                 log.debug('New version found: %s', remote_version)
                 break
             except OSError:
diff --git a/tests/functional/openlp_core/test_version.py b/tests/functional/openlp_core/test_version.py
index 45314a0c9..8d9d59fb1 100644
--- a/tests/functional/openlp_core/test_version.py
+++ b/tests/functional/openlp_core/test_version.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def test_worker_start(mock_requests, mock_platform):
         worker.start()
 
     # THEN: The check completes and the signal is emitted
-    expected_download_url = 'http://www.openlp.org/files/version.txt'
+    expected_download_url = 'https://www.openlp.org/files/version.txt'
     expected_headers = {'User-Agent': 'OpenLP/2.0 Linux/4.12.0-1-amd64; '}
     mock_requests.get.assert_called_once_with(expected_download_url, headers=expected_headers)
     mock_new_version.emit.assert_called_once_with('2.4.6')
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def test_worker_start_dev_version(mock_requests, mock_platform):
         worker.start()
 
     # THEN: The check completes and the signal is emitted
-    expected_download_url = 'http://www.openlp.org/files/dev_version.txt'
+    expected_download_url = 'https://www.openlp.org/files/dev_version.txt'
     expected_headers = {'User-Agent': 'OpenLP/2.1.3 Linux/4.12.0-1-amd64; '}
     mock_requests.get.assert_called_once_with(expected_download_url, headers=expected_headers)
     mock_new_version.emit.assert_called_once_with('2.4.6')
@@ -113,13 +113,38 @@ def test_worker_start_nightly_version(mock_requests, mock_platform):
         worker.start()
 
     # THEN: The check completes and the signal is emitted
-    expected_download_url = 'http://www.openlp.org/files/nightly_version.txt'
+    expected_download_url = 'https://www.openlp.org/files/nightly_version.txt'
     expected_headers = {'User-Agent': 'OpenLP/2.1-bzr2345 Linux/4.12.0-1-amd64; '}
     mock_requests.get.assert_called_once_with(expected_download_url, headers=expected_headers)
     mock_new_version.emit.assert_called_once_with('2.4.6')
     mock_quit.emit.assert_called_once_with()
 
 
+@patch('openlp.core.version.platform')
+@patch('openlp.core.version.requests')
+def test_worker_empty_response(mock_requests, mock_platform):
+    """Test the VersionWorkder.start() method for empty responses"""
+    # GIVEN: A last check date, current version, and an instance of worker
+    last_check_date = '1970-01-01'
+    current_version = {'full': '2.1-bzr2345', 'version': '2.1', 'build': '2345'}
+    mock_platform.system.return_value = 'Linux'
+    mock_platform.release.return_value = '4.12.0-1-amd64'
+    mock_requests.get.return_value = MagicMock(text='\n')
+    worker = VersionWorker(last_check_date, current_version)
+
+    # WHEN: The worker is run
+    with patch.object(worker, 'new_version') as mock_new_version, \
+            patch.object(worker, 'quit') as mock_quit:
+        worker.start()
+
+    # THEN: The check completes and the signal is emitted
+    expected_download_url = 'https://www.openlp.org/files/nightly_version.txt'
+    expected_headers = {'User-Agent': 'OpenLP/2.1-bzr2345 Linux/4.12.0-1-amd64; '}
+    mock_requests.get.assert_called_once_with(expected_download_url, headers=expected_headers)
+    assert mock_new_version.emit.call_count == 0
+    mock_quit.emit.assert_called_once_with()
+
+
 @patch('openlp.core.version.platform')
 @patch('openlp.core.version.requests')
 def test_worker_start_connection_error(mock_requests, mock_platform):
@@ -138,7 +163,7 @@ def test_worker_start_connection_error(mock_requests, mock_platform):
         worker.start()
 
     # THEN: The check completes and the signal is emitted
-    expected_download_url = 'http://www.openlp.org/files/version.txt'
+    expected_download_url = 'https://www.openlp.org/files/version.txt'
     expected_headers = {'User-Agent': 'OpenLP/2.0 Linux/4.12.0-1-amd64; '}
     mock_requests.get.assert_called_with(expected_download_url, headers=expected_headers)
     assert mock_requests.get.call_count == 3