diff --git a/src/applications/paste/xaction/PhabricatorPasteLanguageTransaction.php b/src/applications/paste/xaction/PhabricatorPasteLanguageTransaction.php
--- a/src/applications/paste/xaction/PhabricatorPasteLanguageTransaction.php
+++ b/src/applications/paste/xaction/PhabricatorPasteLanguageTransaction.php
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   }
 
   private function renderLanguageValue($value) {
-    if (!strlen($value)) {
+    if (!phutil_nonempty_string($value)) {
       return $this->renderValue(pht('autodetect'));
     } else {
       return $this->renderValue($value);