diff --git a/src/build_settings.cpp b/src/build_settings.cpp
index 714b8af8f..429540171 100644
--- a/src/build_settings.cpp
+++ b/src/build_settings.cpp
@@ -2146,9 +2146,8 @@ gb_internal void init_build_context(TargetMetrics *cross_target, Subtarget subta
 
 gb_internal bool check_single_target_feature_is_valid(String const &feature_list, String const &feature) {
 	String_Iterator it = {feature_list, 0};
-	for (;;) {
-		String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-		if (str == "") break;
+	String str = {};
+	while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 		if (str == feature) {
 			return true;
 		}
@@ -2160,8 +2159,8 @@ gb_internal bool check_single_target_feature_is_valid(String const &feature_list
 gb_internal bool check_target_feature_is_valid(String const &feature, TargetArchKind arch, String *invalid) {
 	String feature_list = target_features_list[arch];
 	String_Iterator it = {feature, 0};
-	for (;;) {
-		String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
+	String str = {};
+	while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 		String feature_str = str;
 		if (string_starts_with(feature_str, '+') || string_starts_with(feature_str, '-')) {
 			feature_str = substring(feature_str, 1, feature_str.len);
@@ -2169,7 +2168,6 @@ gb_internal bool check_target_feature_is_valid(String const &feature, TargetArch
 				return false;
 			}
 		}
-		if (feature_str == "") break;
 		if (!check_single_target_feature_is_valid(feature_list, feature_str)) {
 			if (invalid) *invalid = str;
 			return false;
@@ -2181,10 +2179,8 @@ gb_internal bool check_target_feature_is_valid(String const &feature, TargetArch
 
 gb_internal bool check_target_feature_is_valid_globally(String const &feature, String *invalid) {
 	String_Iterator it = {feature, 0};
-	for (;;) {
-		String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-		if (str == "") break;
-
+	String str = {};
+	while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 		bool valid = false;
 		for (int arch = TargetArch_Invalid; arch < TargetArch_COUNT; arch += 1) {
 			if (check_target_feature_is_valid(str, cast(TargetArchKind)arch, invalid)) {
@@ -2208,15 +2204,19 @@ gb_internal bool check_target_feature_is_valid_for_target_arch(String const &fea
 
 gb_internal bool check_target_feature_is_enabled(String const &feature, String *not_enabled) {
 	String_Iterator it = {feature, 0};
-	for (;;) {
-		String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
+	String str = {};
+	while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 		String feature_str = str;
 		bool want_enabled = true;
 		if (string_starts_with(feature_str, '+') || string_starts_with(feature_str, '-')) {
 			want_enabled = feature_str[0] == '+';
 			feature_str = substring(feature_str, 1, feature_str.len);
 		}
-		if (feature_str == "") break;
+		if (feature_str == "") {
+			// a bare sign names no feature, which cannot be enabled
+			if (not_enabled) *not_enabled = str;
+			return false;
+		}
 
 		String plus_str  = concatenate_strings(temporary_allocator(), make_string_c("+"), feature_str);
 		String minus_str = concatenate_strings(temporary_allocator(), make_string_c("-"), feature_str);
@@ -2240,9 +2240,8 @@ gb_internal bool check_target_feature_is_enabled(String const &feature, String *
 
 gb_internal bool check_target_feature_is_superset_of(String const &superset, String const &of, String *missing) {
 	String_Iterator it = {of, 0};
-	for (;;) {
-		String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-		if (str == "") break;
+	String str = {};
+	while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 		if (!check_single_target_feature_is_valid(superset, str)) {
 			if (missing) *missing = str;
 			return false;
diff --git a/src/llvm_backend.cpp b/src/llvm_backend.cpp
index e770ed90d..6ff3d182a 100644
--- a/src/llvm_backend.cpp
+++ b/src/llvm_backend.cpp
@@ -3164,10 +3164,9 @@ gb_internal bool lb_generate_code(lbGenerator *gen) {
 
 	gbString llvm_features = gb_string_make(temporary_allocator(), "");
 	String_Iterator it = {build_context.target_features_string, 0};
+	String str = {};
 	bool first = true;
-	for (;;) {
-		String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-		if (str == "") break;
+	while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 		if (!first) {
 			llvm_features = gb_string_appendc(llvm_features, ",");
 		}
diff --git a/src/llvm_backend_proc.cpp b/src/llvm_backend_proc.cpp
index 42c2f8653..f7e4ebe69 100644
--- a/src/llvm_backend_proc.cpp
+++ b/src/llvm_backend_proc.cpp
@@ -226,10 +226,9 @@ gb_internal lbProcedure *lb_create_procedure(lbModule *m, Entity *entity, bool i
 		gbString feature_str = gb_string_make(temporary_allocator(), "");
 
 		String_Iterator it = {pt->Proc.enable_target_feature, 0};
+		String str = {};
 		bool first = true;
-		for (;;) {
-			String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-			if (str == "") break;
+		while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 			bool add_prefix = !(string_starts_with(str, '+') || string_starts_with(str, '-'));
 			if (!first) {
 				feature_str = gb_string_appendc(feature_str, ",");
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 84ec22bdf..8785be9c0 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1455,12 +1455,8 @@ gb_internal bool parse_build_flags(Array<String> args) {
 								GB_ASSERT(value.kind == ExactValue_String);
 								String val = value.value_string;
 								String_Iterator it = {val, 0};
-								for (;;) {
-									String pkg = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-									if (pkg.len == 0) {
-										break;
-									}
-
+								String pkg = {};
+								while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &pkg)) {
 									pkg = string_trim_whitespace(pkg);
 									if (!string_is_valid_identifier(pkg)) {
 										gb_printf_err("-%.*s '%.*s' must be a valid identifier\n", LIT(name), LIT(pkg));
@@ -1478,12 +1474,8 @@ gb_internal bool parse_build_flags(Array<String> args) {
 								GB_ASSERT(value.kind == ExactValue_String);
 								String val = value.value_string;
 								String_Iterator it = {val, 0};
-								for (;;) {
-									String attr = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-									if (attr.len == 0) {
-										break;
-									}
-
+								String attr = {};
+								while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &attr)) {
 									attr = string_trim_whitespace(attr);
 									if (!string_is_valid_identifier(attr)) {
 										gb_printf_err("-%.*s '%.*s' must be a valid identifier\n", LIT(name), LIT(attr));
@@ -4166,9 +4158,8 @@ int main(int arg_count, char const **arg_ptr) {
 	} else {
 		String march_list = target_microarch_list[build_context.metrics.arch];
 		String_Iterator it = {march_list, 0};
-		for (;;) {
-			String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-			if (str == "") break;
+		String str = {};
+		while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 			if (str == build_context.microarch) {
 				// Found matching microarch
 				print_microarch_list = false;
@@ -4193,9 +4184,8 @@ int main(int arg_count, char const **arg_ptr) {
 		String march_list  = target_microarch_list[build_context.metrics.arch];
 		String_Iterator it = {march_list, 0};
 
-		for (;;) {
-			String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-			if (str == "") break;
+		String str = {};
+		while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 			if (str == default_march) {
 				gb_printf("\t%.*s (default)\n", LIT(str));
 			} else {
@@ -4209,9 +4199,8 @@ int main(int arg_count, char const **arg_ptr) {
 	String default_features = get_default_features();
 	{
 		String_Iterator it = {default_features, 0};
-		for (;;) {
-			String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-			if (str == "") break;
+		String str = {};
+		while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 			string_set_add(&build_context.target_features_set, str);
 		}
 	}
@@ -4231,10 +4220,8 @@ int main(int arg_count, char const **arg_ptr) {
 
 	if (build_context.target_features_string.len != 0) {
 		String_Iterator target_it = {build_context.target_features_string, 0};
-		for (;;) {
-			String item = string_split_iterator(&target_it, ',');
-			if (item == "") break;
-			
+		String item = {};
+		while (string_split_iterator_next(&target_it, ',', &item)) {
 			String stripped_item = item;
 			if (*stripped_item.text == '+' || *stripped_item.text == '-') {
 				stripped_item.text++;
@@ -4251,9 +4238,8 @@ int main(int arg_count, char const **arg_ptr) {
 
 				String feature_list = target_features_list[build_context.metrics.arch];
 				String_Iterator it = {feature_list, 0};
-				for (;;) {
-					String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-					if (str == "") break;
+				String str = {};
+				while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 					if (check_single_target_feature_is_valid(default_features, str)) {
 						if (has_ansi_terminal_colours()) {
 							gb_printf("\t%.*s\x1b[38;5;244m (implied by target microarch %.*s)\x1b[0m\n", LIT(str), LIT(march));
diff --git a/src/string.cpp b/src/string.cpp
index 76d03d55f..97588a5df 100644
--- a/src/string.cpp
+++ b/src/string.cpp
@@ -293,6 +293,20 @@ gb_internal String string_split_iterator(String_Iterator *it, const char sep) {
 	return substring(it->str, start, end);
 }
 
+// NOTE: `string_split_iterator` returns a zero-length `String` both for an empty element and at
+// exhaustion, so a loop that stops on an empty result stops at the first empty element instead.
+// This skips empty elements and stops only once the iterator is exhausted.
+gb_internal bool string_split_iterator_next(String_Iterator *it, char const sep, String *str_) {
+	while (it->pos < it->str.len) {
+		String str = string_split_iterator(it, sep);
+		if (str.len != 0) {
+			*str_ = str;
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
 gb_internal gb_inline bool is_separator(u8 const &ch) {
 	return (ch == '/' || ch == '\\');
 }
diff --git a/src/types.cpp b/src/types.cpp
index d12d8dbee..cf0927cdd 100644
--- a/src/types.cpp
+++ b/src/types.cpp
@@ -3640,9 +3640,8 @@ gb_internal int matched_target_features(TypeProc *t) {
 
 	int matches = 0;
 	String_Iterator it = {t->require_target_feature, 0};
-	for (;;) {
-		String str = string_split_iterator(&it, ',');
-		if (str == "") break;
+	String str = {};
+	while (string_split_iterator_next(&it, ',', &str)) {
 		if (check_target_feature_is_valid_for_target_arch(str, nullptr)) {
 			matches += 1;
 		}