Index: src/orca/Gecko.py
===================================================================
--- src/orca/Gecko.py	(revision 2285)
+++ src/orca/Gecko.py	(working copy)
@@ -2701,6 +2701,11 @@
         Returns True if a and b are on the same line.
         """
 
+        # If a and b are identical, by definition they are on the same line.
+        #
+        if a == b:
+            return True
+
         # For now, we'll just take a look at the bottom of the area.
         # The code after this takes the whole extents into account,
         # but that logic has issues in the case where we have
@@ -2941,9 +2946,13 @@
 
         useless = False
 
-        if obj.role in [rolenames.ROLE_IMAGE, \
-                        rolenames.ROLE_TABLE_CELL, \
-                        rolenames.ROLE_SECTION]:
+        if obj and not obj.text and \
+           obj.role == rolenames.ROLE_PARAGRAPH:
+            useless = True
+
+        elif obj.role in [rolenames.ROLE_IMAGE, \
+                          rolenames.ROLE_TABLE_CELL, \
+                          rolenames.ROLE_SECTION]:
             text = self.getDisplayedText(obj)
             if (not text) or (len(text) == 0):
                 text = self.getDisplayedLabel(obj)
