diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
index 22e69e0100..e5a0f0928c 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
@@ -38,6 +38,14 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
 
         #endregion
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// used for unit tests
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static void ResetCache()
+        {
+            _reservedUrlsCache = null;
+        }
+
     	/// <summary>
         /// Gets the reserved urls from web.config.
         /// </summary>
@@ -69,7 +77,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
                 var staticReservedPaths = "~/app_plugins/,~/install/,";
 
                 //always add the umbraco path to the list
-                if (ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.ContainsKey("umbracoPath"))
+                if (ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.ContainsKey("umbracoPath") 
+                    && !ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["umbracoPath"].IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
                 {
                     staticReservedPaths += ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["umbracoPath"].EnsureEndsWith(',');
                 }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/GlobalSettingsTests.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/GlobalSettingsTests.cs
index 5d57679b61..1298a5e719 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/GlobalSettingsTests.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/GlobalSettingsTests.cs
@@ -23,10 +23,12 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests
 
 		public override void TearDown()
 		{
+            //reset the app config		
+            ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Set("umbracoReservedPaths", "");
+            ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Set("umbracoReservedUrls", "");
+            Umbraco.Core.Configuration.GlobalSettings.ResetCache();
 			base.TearDown();
-			//reset the app config		
-			ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Set("umbracoReservedPaths", "");
-			ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Set("umbracoReservedUrls", "");
+			
 		}
 
 		[TestCase("/umbraco/umbraco.aspx")]