diff --git a/shard.yml b/shard.yml
index 4375bf3..04b9177 100644
--- a/shard.yml
+++ b/shard.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: oq
 description: |
   A performant, and portable jq wrapper thats facilitates the consumption and output of formats other than JSON; using jq filters to transform the data.
 
-version: 1.0.2
+version: 1.0.3
 
 authors:
   - George Dietrich <george@dietrich.app>
diff --git a/snap/snapcraft.yaml b/snap/snapcraft.yaml
index 1b0d9f7..473f662 100644
--- a/snap/snapcraft.yaml
+++ b/snap/snapcraft.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: oq
-version: '1.0.2'
+version: '1.0.3'
 summary: A performant, and portable jq wrapper to support formats other than JSON
 description: |
   A performant, and portable jq wrapper thats facilitates the consumption and output of formats other than JSON; using jq filters to transform the data.
diff --git a/spec/converters/xml_spec.cr b/spec/converters/xml_spec.cr
index 986626f..8f5e8c3 100644
--- a/spec/converters/xml_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/converters/xml_spec.cr
@@ -418,9 +418,7 @@ describe OQ::Converters::Xml do
               output.should eq(<<-XML
                 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
                 <root>
-                  <a>
-                    <foo/>
-                  </a>
+                  <a/>
                 </root>\n
                 XML
               )
@@ -584,7 +582,6 @@ describe OQ::Converters::Xml do
             output.should eq(<<-XML
               <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
               <root>
-                <a/>
                 <b/>
                 <c/>
               </root>\n
@@ -600,9 +597,7 @@ describe OQ::Converters::Xml do
             output.should eq(<<-XML
               <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
               <root>
-                <a>
-                  <item/>
-                </a>
+                <a/>
               </root>\n
               XML
             )
diff --git a/src/converters/xml.cr b/src/converters/xml.cr
index 87c74f4..7f61b4f 100644
--- a/src/converters/xml.cr
+++ b/src/converters/xml.cr
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 module OQ::Converters::Xml
-  @@at_root : Bool = true
-
   def self.deserialize(input : IO, output : IO, **args) : Nil
     builder = JSON::Builder.new output
     xml = XML::Reader.new input
@@ -137,7 +135,6 @@ module OQ::Converters::Xml
   end
 
   private def self.handle_object(builder : XML::Builder, json : JSON::PullParser, key : String? = nil, array_key : String? = nil, *, xml_item : String) : Nil
-    @@at_root = false
     json.read_object do |k|
       if k.starts_with?('@')
         builder.attribute k.lchop('@'), get_value json
@@ -160,7 +157,7 @@ module OQ::Converters::Xml
     array_key = array_key || xml_item
 
     if json.kind.end_array?
-      builder.element(array_key) { } unless @@at_root
+      # If the array is empty don't emit anything
     else
       until json.kind.end_array?
         builder.element array_key do
diff --git a/src/oq.cr b/src/oq.cr
index f224212..7ffbece 100644
--- a/src/oq.cr
+++ b/src/oq.cr
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ require "./converters/*"
 
 # A performant, and portable jq wrapper thats facilitates the consumption and output of formats other than JSON; using jq filters to transform the data.
 module OQ
-  VERSION = "1.0.2"
+  VERSION = "1.0.3"
 
   # The support formats that can be converted to/from.
   enum Format