diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,19 +2,27 @@
 Brick changelog
 ---------------
 
+0.44.1
+------
+
+Bug fixes:
+ * `Brick.Markup` now properly renders empty lines in markup (#209)
+
 0.44
----
+----
 
 API changes:
  * The `List` type got its container type generalized thanks to a lot of
-   work by Fraser Tweedale. Thanks to this work, the `List` now supports
-   both `Data.Vector` and `Data.Sequence` as its container types out of
-   the box and can be extended to support other sequence types with some
-   simple type class instances. In addition, property tests are provided
-   for `List` and its asymptotics are noted in the documentation. Along
-   the way, various bugs in some of the list movement functions got
-   fixed to bring them in line with the advertised behavior in the
-   documentation. Thanks, Fraser!
+   work by Fraser Tweedale. Note that this change is
+   backwards-compatible with older Brick programs that use the `List`.
+   Thanks to this work, the `List` now supports both `Data.Vector`
+   and `Data.Sequence` as its container types out of the box and can
+   be extended to support other sequence types with some simple type
+   class instances. In addition, property tests are provided for `List`
+   and its asymptotics are noted in the documentation. Along the way,
+   various bugs in some of the list movement functions got fixed to
+   bring them in line with the advertised behavior in the documentation.
+   Thanks, Fraser!
 
 0.43
 ----
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@
  * `bhoogle`, a [Hoogle](https://www.haskell.org/hoogle/) client: https://github.com/andrevdm/bhoogle
  * `clifm`, a file manager: https://github.com/pasqu4le/clifm
  * `towerHanoi`, animated solutions to The Tower of Hanoi: https://github.com/shajenM/projects/tree/master/towerHanoi
- * [`VOIDSPACE`](https://github.com/ChrisPenner/void-space), fight off scary category theory terms in this space-themed typing-tutor game: https://github.com/ChrisPenner/void-space
+ * `VOIDSPACE`, a space-themed typing-tutor game: https://github.com/ChrisPenner/void-space
+ * `solitaire`, the card game: https://github.com/ambuc/solitaire
 
 Getting Started
 ---------------
diff --git a/brick.cabal b/brick.cabal
--- a/brick.cabal
+++ b/brick.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                brick
-version:             0.44
+version:             0.44.1
 synopsis:            A declarative terminal user interface library
 description:
   Write terminal applications painlessly with 'brick'! You write an
diff --git a/src/Brick/Markup.hs b/src/Brick/Markup.hs
--- a/src/Brick/Markup.hs
+++ b/src/Brick/Markup.hs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.Text.Markup
 
-import Graphics.Vty (Attr, vertCat, horizCat, string)
+import Graphics.Vty (Attr, vertCat, horizCat, text', defAttr)
 
 import Brick.AttrMap
 import Brick.Types
@@ -50,7 +50,11 @@
           mkLine pairs = do
               is <- forM pairs $ \(t, aSrc) -> do
                   a <- getAttr aSrc
-                  return $ string a $ T.unpack t
-              return $ horizCat is
+                  return $ text' a t
+              if null is
+                 then do
+                     def <- getAttr defAttr
+                     return $ text' def $ T.singleton ' '
+                 else return $ horizCat is
       lineImgs <- mapM mkLine markupLines
       return $ emptyResult & imageL .~ vertCat lineImgs