diff --git a/src/v1/internal/util.js b/src/v1/internal/util.js
index 50811e23a..168052d77 100644
--- a/src/v1/internal/util.js
+++ b/src/v1/internal/util.js
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ function assertString(obj, objName) {
   return obj;
 }
 
+function assertCypherStatement(obj) {
+  assertString(obj, 'Cypher statement');
+  if (obj.trim().length == 0) {
+    throw new TypeError('Cypher statement is expected to be a non-empty string.');
+  }
+  return obj;
+}
+
 function isString(str) {
   return Object.prototype.toString.call(str) === '[object String]';
 }
@@ -118,6 +126,7 @@ export {
   isEmptyObjectOrNull,
   isString,
   assertString,
+  assertCypherStatement,
   parseScheme,
   parseUrl,
   parseHost,
diff --git a/src/v1/session.js b/src/v1/session.js
index 5ff5f13e6..cfd947082 100644
--- a/src/v1/session.js
+++ b/src/v1/session.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import StreamObserver from './internal/stream-observer';
 import Result from './result';
 import Transaction from './transaction';
 import {newError} from './error';
-import {assertString} from './internal/util';
+import {assertCypherStatement} from './internal/util';
 import ConnectionHolder from './internal/connection-holder';
 import Driver, {READ, WRITE} from './driver';
 import TransactionExecutor from './internal/transaction-executor';
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Session {
 
   /**
    * Run Cypher statement
-   * Could be called with a statement object i.e.: {statement: "MATCH ...", parameters: {param: 1}}
+   * Could be called with a statement object i.e.: {text: "MATCH ...", parameters: {param: 1}}
    * or with the statement and parameters as separate arguments.
    * @param {mixed} statement - Cypher statement to execute
    * @param {Object} parameters - Map with parameters to use in statement
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Session {
       parameters = statement.parameters || {};
       statement = statement.text;
     }
-    assertString(statement, 'Cypher statement');
+    assertCypherStatement(statement);
 
     return this._run(statement, parameters, (connection, streamObserver) =>
       connection.run(statement, parameters, streamObserver)
diff --git a/src/v1/transaction.js b/src/v1/transaction.js
index 1c1ac34b3..f904d9275 100644
--- a/src/v1/transaction.js
+++ b/src/v1/transaction.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  */
 import StreamObserver from './internal/stream-observer';
 import Result from './result';
-import {assertString} from './internal/util';
+import {assertCypherStatement} from './internal/util';
 import {EMPTY_CONNECTION_HOLDER} from './internal/connection-holder';
 import Bookmark from './internal/bookmark';
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Transaction {
 
   /**
    * Run Cypher statement
-   * Could be called with a statement object i.e.: <code>{statement: "MATCH ...", parameters: {param: 1}}</code>
+   * Could be called with a statement object i.e.: <code>{text: "MATCH ...", parameters: {param: 1}}</code>
    * or with the statement and parameters as separate arguments.
    * @param {mixed} statement - Cypher statement to execute
    * @param {Object} parameters - Map with parameters to use in statement
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Transaction {
       parameters = statement.parameters || {};
       statement = statement.text;
     }
-    assertString(statement, "Cypher statement");
+    assertCypherStatement(statement);
 
     return this._state.run(this._connectionHolder,  new _TransactionStreamObserver(this), statement, parameters);
   }
diff --git a/test/internal/util.test.js b/test/internal/util.test.js
index 907ad3421..56cabe389 100644
--- a/test/internal/util.test.js
+++ b/test/internal/util.test.js
@@ -55,6 +55,25 @@ describe('util', () => {
     verifyInvalidString(console.log);
   });
 
+  it('should check cypher statements (non-empty strings)', () => {
+    verifyValidString(new String('foo'));
+    verifyValidString(String('foo'));
+    verifyValidString("foo");
+
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement('');
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement('\n');
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement('\t');
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement('\r');
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement('   ');
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement(' \n\r');
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement({});
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement({foo: 1});
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement([]);
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement(['1']);
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement([1, '2']);
+    verifyInvalidCypherStatement(console.log);
+  });
+
   it('should parse scheme', () => {
     verifyScheme('bolt://', 'bolt://localhost');
     verifyScheme('bolt://', 'bolt://localhost:7687');
@@ -169,6 +188,14 @@ describe('util', () => {
     expect(() => util.assertString(str, 'Test string')).toThrowError(TypeError);
   }
 
+  function verifyValidCypherStatement(str) {
+    expect(util.assertCypherStatement(str)).toBe(str);
+  }
+
+  function verifyInvalidCypherStatement(str) {
+    expect(() => util.assertCypherStatement(str)).toThrowError(TypeError);
+  }
+
   function verifyScheme(expectedScheme, url) {
     expect(util.parseScheme(url)).toEqual(expectedScheme);
   }
diff --git a/test/v1/session.test.js b/test/v1/session.test.js
index b6dc104ad..51c358e15 100644
--- a/test/v1/session.test.js
+++ b/test/v1/session.test.js
@@ -427,6 +427,7 @@ describe('session', () => {
     expect(() => session.run({})).toThrowError(TypeError);
     expect(() => session.run(42)).toThrowError(TypeError);
     expect(() => session.run([])).toThrowError(TypeError);
+    expect(() => session.run('')).toThrowError(TypeError);
     expect(() => session.run(['CREATE ()'])).toThrowError(TypeError);
 
     expect(() => session.run({statement: 'CREATE ()'})).toThrowError(TypeError);