diff --git a/projects/clr/rocclr/compiler/lib/utils/options.cpp b/projects/clr/rocclr/compiler/lib/utils/options.cpp
index 0d1e309202..5ab7c7c64a 100644
--- a/projects/clr/rocclr/compiler/lib/utils/options.cpp
+++ b/projects/clr/rocclr/compiler/lib/utils/options.cpp
@@ -1489,10 +1489,14 @@ Options::getDumpFileName(const std::string& ext)
 }
 
 bool
-Options::isCStrEqual(const char *cs1, const char* cs2)
+Options::isCStrOptionsEqual(const char *cs1, const char* cs2) const
 {
     if ((cs1 != NULL) && (cs2 != NULL)) {
         return (strcmp(cs1, cs2) == 0);
+    } else if ((cs1 == NULL || strcmp(cs1,"") == 0) &&
+               (cs2 == NULL || strcmp(cs2,"") == 0)) {
+        // consider empty string and NULL ptr (no string) as equal
+        return true;
     }
     return false;
 }
@@ -1527,7 +1531,7 @@ bool Options::equals(const Options& other, bool ignoreClcOptions) const
         else if (OPTION_type(od) == OT_CSTRING) {
             OT_CSTRING_t* o = reinterpret_cast<OT_CSTRING_t*>(addr);
             OT_CSTRING_t* o2 = reinterpret_cast<OT_CSTRING_t*>(addr2);
-            if (*o != *o2) return false;
+            if (!isCStrOptionsEqual(*o,*o2)) return false;
         }
         else {
             return false;
diff --git a/projects/clr/rocclr/compiler/lib/utils/options.hpp b/projects/clr/rocclr/compiler/lib/utils/options.hpp
index 29d40b9483..6897762f58 100644
--- a/projects/clr/rocclr/compiler/lib/utils/options.hpp
+++ b/projects/clr/rocclr/compiler/lib/utils/options.hpp
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ public:
     std::string getDumpFileName(const std::string& ext);
 
     void setPerBuildInfo(const char* val, int encrypt, bool device);
-    bool isCStrEqual(const char *cs1, const char* cs2);
+    bool isCStrOptionsEqual(const char *cs1, const char* cs2) const;
 
 
     bool useDefaultWGS() { return UseDefaultWGS; }
diff --git a/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpuprogram.cpp b/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpuprogram.cpp
index 09b3afb24c..a2991b3c5c 100644
--- a/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpuprogram.cpp
+++ b/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpuprogram.cpp
@@ -1300,7 +1300,7 @@ NullProgram::parseAllILFuncs(const std::string& source)
 {
     bool doPatch = true;
     amd::option::Options *opts = getCompilerOptions();
-    if (opts->isCStrEqual(opts->oVariables->XLang, "il")) {
+    if (opts->isCStrOptionsEqual(opts->oVariables->XLang, "il")) {
         doPatch = false;
     }
     // Find the patch position