diff --git a/classes/tab_custom.php b/classes/tab_custom.php
index d3d9672..c3f9ebc 100644
--- a/classes/tab_custom.php
+++ b/classes/tab_custom.php
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ class MCI_Footnotes_Tab_Custom extends MCI_Footnotes_Admin {
 		// styling
 		add_meta_box(
 			'MCI_Footnotes_Tab_Custom_Styling',
-			__("Layout", FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME),
-			array($this, 'Styling'),
+			__("Superscript layout", FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME),
+			array($this, 'Superscript'),
 			FOOTNOTES_SETTINGS_TAB_CUSTOM,
 			'main'
 		);
@@ -63,13 +63,13 @@ class MCI_Footnotes_Tab_Custom extends MCI_Footnotes_Admin {
 	 * footnotes layout before and after the index in text
 	 * @since 1.3.1
 	 */
-	public function Styling() {
+	public function Superscript() {
 		// setting for 'before footnotes'
-		$this->AddLabel(FOOTNOTES_INPUT_CUSTOM_STYLING_BEFORE, __("Before Footnotes:", FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME));
+		$this->AddLabel(FOOTNOTES_INPUT_CUSTOM_STYLING_BEFORE, __("Before Footnotes index:", FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME));
 		$this->AddTextbox(FOOTNOTES_INPUT_CUSTOM_STYLING_BEFORE, "footnote_plugin_50");
 		$this->AddNewline();
 		// setting for 'after footnotes'
-		$this->AddLabel(FOOTNOTES_INPUT_CUSTOM_STYLING_AFTER, __("After Footnotes:", FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME));
+		$this->AddLabel(FOOTNOTES_INPUT_CUSTOM_STYLING_AFTER, __("After Footnotes index:", FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME));
 		$this->AddTextbox(FOOTNOTES_INPUT_CUSTOM_STYLING_AFTER, "footnote_plugin_50");
 		$this->AddNewline();
 	}
diff --git a/classes/tab_howto.php b/classes/tab_howto.php
index 99e114b..fdc551c 100644
--- a/classes/tab_howto.php
+++ b/classes/tab_howto.php
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class MCI_Footnotes_Tab_HowTo extends MCI_Footnotes_Admin {
 			$l_arr_Footnote_StartingTag = $this->LoadSetting(FOOTNOTES_INPUT_PLACEHOLDER_START_USERDEFINED);
 			$l_arr_Footnote_EndingTag = $this->LoadSetting(FOOTNOTES_INPUT_PLACEHOLDER_END_USERDEFINED);
 		}
-		$l_str_Example = $l_arr_Footnote_StartingTag["value"] . __("example string", FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME) . $l_arr_Footnote_EndingTag["value"];
+		$l_str_Example = "Hello" . $l_arr_Footnote_StartingTag["value"] . __("example string", FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME) . $l_arr_Footnote_EndingTag["value"] . " World!";
 		?>
 		<div style="text-align:center;">
 			<div class="footnote_placeholder_box_container">
diff --git a/classes/task.php b/classes/task.php
index 674f81a..96beb6b 100644
--- a/classes/task.php
+++ b/classes/task.php
@@ -218,6 +218,10 @@ class MCI_Footnotes_Task {
 			$l_str_StartingTag = htmlspecialchars($l_str_StartingTag);
 			$l_str_EndingTag = htmlspecialchars($l_str_EndingTag);
 		}
+		// if footnotes short code is empty, return the content without changes
+		if (empty($l_str_StartingTag) || empty($l_str_EndingTag)) {
+			return $p_str_Content;
+		}
 
 		// check for a footnote placeholder in the current page
 		do {
diff --git a/includes/plugin-settings.php b/includes/plugin-settings.php
index d56c168..b0767a2 100644
--- a/includes/plugin-settings.php
+++ b/includes/plugin-settings.php
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ function MCI_Footnotes_ValidateOptions($p_arr_Options, $p_arr_Default, $p_bool_C
 		if (!empty($l_str_Value)) {
 			$p_arr_Options[$l_str_Key] = $l_str_Value;
 			// check if default value is defined
-		} else if (array_key_exists($l_str_Key, $p_arr_Default)) {
-			$p_arr_Options[$l_str_Key] = $p_arr_Default[$l_str_Key];
+		//} else if (array_key_exists($l_str_Key, $p_arr_Default)) {
+		//	$p_arr_Options[$l_str_Key] = $p_arr_Default[$l_str_Key];
 		} else {
 			$p_arr_Options[$l_str_Key] = "";
 		}
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index fe1d55a..a706309 100755
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Requires at least: 3.9
 Tested up to: 3.9.1
 License: GPLv3 or later
 License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html
-Stable Tag: 1.3.0
+Stable Tag: 1.3.1
 
 == Description ==
 
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@ No, this Plugin has been written from scratch. Of course some inspirations on ho
 
 == Changelog ==
 
+= 1.3.1 =
+- Bugfix: Allow settings to be empty
+- Bugfix: Removed space between the hyperlink and superscript in the footnotes index
+- Added: Setting to customize the text before and after the footnotes index in superscript
+
 = 1.3.0 =
 - Bugfix: Changed tooltip class to be unique
 - Bugfix: Changed superscript styling to not manipulate the line height
diff --git a/templates/footnote.html b/templates/footnote.html
index 6c59428..bd808ad 100755
--- a/templates/footnote.html
+++ b/templates/footnote.html
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
    name="footnote_plugin_tooltip_[[FOOTNOTE INDEX]]"
    id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_[[FOOTNOTE INDEX]]"
    class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text"
-   onclick="footnote_expand_reference_container('#footnote_plugin_reference_[[FOOTNOTE INDEX]]');">
-	<sup>[[FOOTNOTE BEFORE]][[FOOTNOTE INDEX]][[FOOTNOTE AFTER]]</sup>
+   onclick="footnote_expand_reference_container('#footnote_plugin_reference_[[FOOTNOTE INDEX]]');"><sup>[[FOOTNOTE BEFORE]][[FOOTNOTE INDEX]][[FOOTNOTE AFTER]]</sup>
 </a>
 <span class="footnote_tooltip" id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_[[FOOTNOTE INDEX]]">
 	[[FOOTNOTE TEXT]]