--- a/xfce4-xkb-plugin/panel-plugin/xkb-config.c
+++ b/xfce4-xkb-plugin/panel-plugin/xkb-config.c

@@ -273,7 +273,11 @@ xkb_config_update_settings (t_xkb_settings *settings)
         settings->kbd_config = g_new0 (t_xkb_kbd_config, 1);
         settings->kbd_config->model = g_strdup (config->config_rec->model);
         settings->kbd_config->layouts = g_strjoinv (",", config->config_rec->layouts);
-        settings->kbd_config->variants = g_strjoinv (",", config->config_rec->variants);
+       settings->kbd_config->variants = g_strjoinv (",", config->config_rec->variants);
+       if( strcmp("",settings->kbd_config->variants) == 0 )    
+       {
+               settings->kbd_config->variants = g_strdup(",");
+       }
         options = g_strjoinv (",", config->config_rec->options);
         if (strcmp ("", options) == 0)
         {