diff --git a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/virtual/15groups b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/virtual/15groups
index d8c83f7..68dd081 100644
--- a/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/virtual/15groups
+++ b/root/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/virtual/15groups
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@
 					push @members, $user;
 			}
 			my $members = join(' ', @members);
-      $OUT .= "$acct\t\t\t$members\n";
+      $OUT .= "$acct\t\t\t$members\n" if $members;
    }
 }
diff --git a/smeserver-postfix.spec b/smeserver-postfix.spec
index f0a28f0..23033b1 100644
--- a/smeserver-postfix.spec
+++ b/smeserver-postfix.spec
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 %define name smeserver-postfix
 %define version 1.0
-%define release 8
+%define release 9
 Summary: This is what smeserver-postfix does.
 Name: %{name}
 Version: %{version}
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ AutoReqProv: no
 Koozali SME Server wrapper to configure postfix
 
 %changelog
+* Mon Dec 23 2024 Jean-Philippe Pialasse <jpp@koozali.org> 1.0-9.sme
+- fix virtual  expected format: key whitespace value for empty group [SME: 12834]
+
 * Fri Dec 20 2024 Jean-Philippe Pialasse <jpp@koozali.org> 1.0-8.sme
 - fix catch-all behaviour [SME: 12382]
   myorigin now is hostname