diff --git a/biome-grid.el b/biome-grid.el
index bb81af8..094228a 100644
--- a/biome-grid.el
+++ b/biome-grid.el
@@ -485,6 +485,7 @@ the API.  UNIT is the unit of the column."
     (mapcar
      (lambda (entry)
        (cond
+        ((or (equal entry "")) entry)
         ((eq (car-safe format-def) 'gradient)
          (biome-grid--format-gradient entry (cdr format-def) col-width))
         ((numberp entry) (format (format "%%%ds" col-width) entry))
diff --git a/biome-query.el b/biome-query.el
index 6c62506..a92b673 100644
--- a/biome-query.el
+++ b/biome-query.el
@@ -735,6 +735,9 @@ exclude from the result."
                                    for subkey = (seq-take key i)
                                    for dupe-names = (gethash subkey names-by-key)
                                    when dupe-names append dupe-names)))))
+      ;; XXX I don't have the slighest idea why, but renaming the
+      ;; variable `key-1' into `key' makes the byte-compiler complain
+      ;; about `key' being unused.  Hope that's not a Heisenbug.
       (cl-loop
        for name in names-to-update
        for old-key = (gethash name keys-by-name)