diff --git a/app/models/event.rb b/app/models/event.rb
index 22689fe5..99d13287 100644
--- a/app/models/event.rb
+++ b/app/models/event.rb
@@ -155,11 +155,7 @@ class Event < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def abstract_word_count
-    if abstract.nil?
-      0
-    else
-      abstract.split.size
-    end
+    abstract.to_s.split.size
   end
 
   def week
diff --git a/spec/models/event_spec.rb b/spec/models/event_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b777308e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/event_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe Event do
+
+  describe 'abstract_word_count' do
+    it 'counts words in abstract' do
+      event = build(:event)
+      expect(event.abstract_word_count).to eq(233)
+      event.update_attributes!(abstract: "abstract.")
+      expect(event.abstract_word_count).to eq(1)
+    end
+
+    it 'counts 0 when abstract is empty' do
+      event = build(:event, abstract: nil)
+      expect(event.abstract_word_count).to eq(0)
+      event.abstract = ""
+      expect(event.abstract_word_count).to eq(0)
+    end
+  end
+end