diff --git a/cloudbender/jinja.py b/cloudbender/jinja.py
index 08721fa..5ad136b 100644
--- a/cloudbender/jinja.py
+++ b/cloudbender/jinja.py
@@ -56,10 +56,13 @@ def include_raw_gz(context, files=None, gz=True, remove_comments=False):
 
     if remove_comments:
         # Remove full line comments but not shebang
-        _re = re.compile(r'^\s*#[^!]')
+        _re_comment = re.compile(r'^\s*#[^!]')
+        _re_blank = re.compile(r'^\s*$')
         stripped_output = ''
         for curline in output.splitlines():
-            if re.match(_re, curline):
+            if re.match(_re_blank, curline):
+                continue
+            elif re.match(_re_comment, curline):
                 logger.debug("Removed {}".format(curline))
             else:
                 stripped_output = stripped_output + curline + '\n'
diff --git a/cloudbender/utils.py b/cloudbender/utils.py
index 4e6fdc4..4c4fb34 100644
--- a/cloudbender/utils.py
+++ b/cloudbender/utils.py
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ def setup_logging(debug):
     if debug:
         our_level = logging.DEBUG
         logging.getLogger("botocore").setLevel(logging.INFO)
-        boto3.set_stream_logger('')
 
         formatter = logging.Formatter(
             fmt="[%(asctime)s] %(name)s %(message)s",