diff --git a/RetroFE/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.cpp b/RetroFE/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.cpp
index 416a57f..c1fefab 100644
--- a/RetroFE/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.cpp
+++ b/RetroFE/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.cpp
@@ -203,12 +203,13 @@ bool CollectionInfoBuilder::ImportBasicList(CollectionInfo * /*info*/, std::stri
         return false;
     }
 
-    std::string line;
+    std::string line; 
 
     while(std::getline(includeStream, line))
     {
-
-        if(list.find(line) == list.end())
+        line = Utils::FilterComments(line);
+        
+        if(!line.empty() && list.find(line) == list.end())
         {
             Item *i = new Item();
 
diff --git a/RetroFE/Source/Database/Configuration.cpp b/RetroFE/Source/Database/Configuration.cpp
index ca0fbef..0256061 100644
--- a/RetroFE/Source/Database/Configuration.cpp
+++ b/RetroFE/Source/Database/Configuration.cpp
@@ -117,12 +117,8 @@ bool Configuration::ParseLine(std::string keyPrefix, std::string line, int lineC
     std::string delimiter = "=";
 
     // strip out any comments
-    if((position = line.find("#")) != std::string::npos)
-    {
-        line = line.substr(0, position);
-    }
-    // unix only wants \n. Windows uses \r\n. Strip off the \r for unix.
-    line.erase( std::remove(line.begin(), line.end(), '\r'), line.end() );
+    line = Utils::FilterComments(line);
+    
     if(line.empty() || (line.find_first_not_of(" \t\r") == std::string::npos))
     {
         retVal = true;
diff --git a/RetroFE/Source/Utility/Utils.cpp b/RetroFE/Source/Utility/Utils.cpp
index 6fe7830..99432c1 100644
--- a/RetroFE/Source/Utility/Utils.cpp
+++ b/RetroFE/Source/Utility/Utils.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,20 @@ std::string Utils::UppercaseFirst(std::string str)
 
     return str;
 }
+std::string Utils::FilterComments(std:;string line)
+{
+    size_t position;
+
+    // strip out any comments
+    if((position = line.find("#")) != std::string::npos)
+    {
+        line = line.substr(0, position);
+    }
+    // unix only wants \n. Windows uses \r\n. Strip off the \r for unix.
+    line.erase( std::remove(line.begin(), line.end(), '\r'), line.end() );
+    
+    return line;
+}
 
 std::string Utils::CombinePath(std::list<std::string> &paths)
 {
diff --git a/RetroFE/Source/Utility/Utils.h b/RetroFE/Source/Utility/Utils.h
index e7a678f..addb7b3 100644
--- a/RetroFE/Source/Utility/Utils.h
+++ b/RetroFE/Source/Utility/Utils.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public:
     static bool FindMatchingFile(std::string prefix, std::vector<std::string> &extensions, std::string &file);
     static std::string ToLower(std::string str);
     static std::string UppercaseFirst(std::string str);
+    static std::string FilterComments(std::string line);
 
     //todo: there has to be a better way to do this
     static std::string CombinePath(std::list<std::string> &paths);