diff --git a/plugins/network-elements/bigswitch/src/com/cloud/network/bigswitch/BigSwitchBcfApi.java b/plugins/network-elements/bigswitch/src/com/cloud/network/bigswitch/BigSwitchBcfApi.java
index 16cb3f70fc7..2e9c0fa9483 100644
--- a/plugins/network-elements/bigswitch/src/com/cloud/network/bigswitch/BigSwitchBcfApi.java
+++ b/plugins/network-elements/bigswitch/src/com/cloud/network/bigswitch/BigSwitchBcfApi.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.httpclient.methods.PutMethod;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.methods.StringRequestEntity;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.protocol.Protocol;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.protocol.ProtocolSocketFactory;
+import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 
 import com.google.gson.Gson;
@@ -296,7 +297,7 @@ public class BigSwitchBcfApi {
         m.setRequestHeader(CONTENT_TYPE, CONTENT_JSON);
         m.setRequestHeader(ACCEPT, CONTENT_JSON);
         m.setRequestHeader(HTTP_HEADER_INSTANCE_ID, CLOUDSTACK_INSTANCE_ID + "-" + zoneId);
-        if (hash != "" ) {
+        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(hash)) {
             m.setRequestHeader(HASH_MATCH, hash);
         }