diff --git a/src/Editor/CressTable.ts b/src/Editor/CressTable.ts
index 6cace21..1687631 100644
--- a/src/Editor/CressTable.ts
+++ b/src/Editor/CressTable.ts
@@ -173,16 +173,18 @@ export class CressTable {
       changes?.forEach(([row, prop, oldValue, newValue]) => {
         if (prop === 'mei' && oldValue !== newValue) {
           // validate the new edited mei data and update the validation status
-          this.meiTools.setProcessStatus(newValue);
           this.meiTools.updateMeiData(row, newValue, undefined, undefined);
           this.table.render();
-          this.validationTools
-            .meiValidator(newValue)
-            .then(([isValid, errorMsg]) => {
-              this.meiTools.updateMeiData(row, undefined, isValid, errorMsg);
-              this.table.render();
-              this.meiTools.setResultStatus();
-            });
+          if (newValue !== '') {
+            this.meiTools.setProcessStatus(newValue);
+            this.validationTools
+              .meiValidator(newValue)
+              .then(([isValid, errorMsg]) => {
+                this.meiTools.updateMeiData(row, undefined, isValid, errorMsg);
+                this.table.render();
+                this.meiTools.setResultStatus();
+              });
+          }
         }
       });
     }
diff --git a/src/Editor/MeiTools.ts b/src/Editor/MeiTools.ts
index a471a9f..9d82610 100644
--- a/src/Editor/MeiTools.ts
+++ b/src/Editor/MeiTools.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ export class MeiTools {
   ) {
     const meiData = this.meiData.find((meiData) => meiData.row === row);
     if (meiData) {
+      // if the mei cell is empty, remove the row from meiData
+      if (mei === '') {
+        this.meiData = this.meiData.filter((meiData) => meiData.row !== row);
+        return;
+      }
       if (mei !== undefined) {
         meiData.mei = mei;
       }
@@ -52,10 +57,10 @@ export class MeiTools {
       }
     } else {
       this.meiData.push({
-        row,
-        mei: mei ?? meiData.mei,
-        isValid: isValid ?? meiData.isValid,
-        errorMsg: errorMsg ?? meiData.errorMsg,
+        row: row,
+        mei: mei ?? '',
+        isValid: isValid ?? null,
+        errorMsg: errorMsg ?? null,
       });
     }
   }