diff --git a/native-sql-engine/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/nativesql/NativeSQLConvertedSuite.scala b/native-sql-engine/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/nativesql/NativeSQLConvertedSuite.scala
index 30d22b4d3..d6589496e 100644
--- a/native-sql-engine/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/nativesql/NativeSQLConvertedSuite.scala
+++ b/native-sql-engine/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/nativesql/NativeSQLConvertedSuite.scala
@@ -368,6 +368,21 @@ class NativeSQLConvertedSuite extends QueryTest
       Row("val1a", Timestamp.valueOf("2014-04-04 01:02:00.001"))))
   }
 
+  test("groupby with empty string") {
+    Seq[(String, Integer, String, String)](
+      ("9", 1, "", "20220608"),
+      ("9", 2, "20220608", ""),
+      ("9", 2, "20220608", ""),
+      ("9", 1, "20220608", ""),
+      ("9", 2, "20220608", ""),
+      ("9", 1, "20220608", ""),
+      ("9", null, "20220608", ""),
+      ("9", 3, "20220608", "")).toDF("a", "b", "c", "d").createOrReplaceTempView("testData")
+    
+    val df1 = sql( "SELECT a,c,d, COUNT(*) FROM testData group by a, c, d")
+    checkAnswer(df1, Seq(Row("9","", "20220608", 1), Row("9","20220608","", 7)))
+  }
+
   test("groupby") {
     Seq[(Integer, java.lang.Boolean)](
       (1, true),
diff --git a/native-sql-engine/cpp/src/precompile/unsafe_array.h b/native-sql-engine/cpp/src/precompile/unsafe_array.h
index e13314135..56d20ed70 100644
--- a/native-sql-engine/cpp/src/precompile/unsafe_array.h
+++ b/native-sql-engine/cpp/src/precompile/unsafe_array.h
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ class TypedUnsafeArray<DataType, enable_if_string_like<DataType>> : public Unsaf
           appendToUnsafeRow((*unsafe_row).get(), idx_, *(int64_t*)(v.data()));
           break;
         default:
+          // empty string will go here
           appendToUnsafeRow((*unsafe_row).get(), idx_, v);
       }
     }
diff --git a/native-sql-engine/cpp/src/third_party/row_wise_memory/unsafe_row.h b/native-sql-engine/cpp/src/third_party/row_wise_memory/unsafe_row.h
index 64c76af25..14993772a 100644
--- a/native-sql-engine/cpp/src/third_party/row_wise_memory/unsafe_row.h
+++ b/native-sql-engine/cpp/src/third_party/row_wise_memory/unsafe_row.h
@@ -47,12 +47,14 @@ struct UnsafeRow {
   char* data = nullptr;
   int cursor;
   int validity_size;
+  int is_empty_size;
   UnsafeRow() {}
   UnsafeRow(int numFields) : numFields(numFields) {
     validity_size = (numFields / 8) + 1;
-    cursor = validity_size;
+    is_empty_size = (numFields / 8) + 1;
+    cursor = validity_size + is_empty_size;
     data = (char*)nativeMalloc(TEMP_UNSAFEROW_BUFFER_SIZE, MEMTYPE_ROW);
-    memset(data, 0, validity_size);
+    memset(data, 0, validity_size + is_empty_size);
   }
   ~UnsafeRow() {
     if (data) {
@@ -61,8 +63,10 @@ struct UnsafeRow {
   }
   int sizeInBytes() { return cursor; }
   void reset() {
+    validity_size = (numFields / 8) + 1;
+    is_empty_size = (numFields / 8) + 1;
     memset(data, 0, cursor);
-    cursor = validity_size;
+    cursor = validity_size + is_empty_size;
   }
   bool isNullExists() {
     for (int i = 0; i < ((numFields / 8) + 1); i++) {
@@ -99,6 +103,12 @@ static inline void setNullAt(UnsafeRow* row, int index) {
   *(row->data + bitSetIdx) |= kBitmask[index % 8];
 }
 
+static inline void setEmptyAt(UnsafeRow* row, int index) {
+  assert((index >= 0) && (index < row->numFields));
+  auto bitSetIdx = index >> 3;  // mod 8
+  *(row->data + row->validity_size + bitSetIdx) |= kBitmask[index % 8];
+}
+
 template <typename T>
 using is_number_alike =
     std::integral_constant<bool, std::is_arithmetic<T>::value ||
@@ -115,6 +125,10 @@ static inline void appendToUnsafeRow(UnsafeRow* row, const int& index, const T&
 
 static inline void appendToUnsafeRow(UnsafeRow* row, const int& index,
                                      arrow::util::string_view str) {
+  if (unlikely(str.size() == 0)) {
+    setEmptyAt(row, index);
+    return;
+  }
   if (unlikely(row->cursor + str.size() > TEMP_UNSAFEROW_BUFFER_SIZE))
     row->data =
         (char*)nativeRealloc(row->data, 2 * TEMP_UNSAFEROW_BUFFER_SIZE, MEMTYPE_ROW);