diff --git a/PluralKit.Core/DataFiles.cs b/PluralKit.Core/DataFiles.cs
index 4af01299..8c839269 100644
--- a/PluralKit.Core/DataFiles.cs
+++ b/PluralKit.Core/DataFiles.cs
@@ -307,8 +307,8 @@ namespace PluralKit.Bot
                 AvatarUrl = AvatarUrl,
                 Birthday = Birthday,
                 Description = Description,
-                Prefix = Brackets.FirstOrDefault(),
-                Suffix = Brackets.Skip(1).FirstOrDefault() // TODO: can Tupperbox members have no proxies at all?
+                Prefix = Brackets.FirstOrDefault().NullIfEmpty(),
+                Suffix = Brackets.Skip(1).FirstOrDefault().NullIfEmpty() // TODO: can Tupperbox members have no proxies at all?
             };
         }
     }
diff --git a/PluralKit.Core/Utils.cs b/PluralKit.Core/Utils.cs
index 615a7eeb..b71c5b6a 100644
--- a/PluralKit.Core/Utils.cs
+++ b/PluralKit.Core/Utils.cs
@@ -246,6 +246,11 @@ namespace PluralKit
                     yield break;
             }
         }
+
+        public static string NullIfEmpty(this string input)
+        {
+            return input.Trim().Length == 0 ? null : input;
+        }
     }
 
     public static class Emojis {