diff --git a/lib/saxes.js b/lib/saxes.js
index 552ca064..082ac41a 100644
--- a/lib/saxes.js
+++ b/lib/saxes.js
@@ -1055,15 +1055,21 @@ class SaxesParser {
     scanLoop:
     while (true) {
       switch (this.getCode()) {
-      case LESS:
+      case LESS: {
         this.state = S_OPEN_WAKA;
-        this.text += chunk.slice(start, this.prevI);
-        if (this.text.length !== 0) {
-          this.closeText();
+        const { text } = this;
+        const slice = chunk.slice(start, this.prevI);
+        if (text.length !== 0) {
+          this.ontext(text + slice);
+          this.text = "";
+        }
+        else if (slice.length !== 0) {
+          this.ontext(slice);
         }
         forbiddenState = FORBIDDEN_START;
         // eslint-disable-next-line no-labels
         break scanLoop;
+      }
       case AMP:
         this.state = S_ENTITY;
         this.entityReturnState = S_TEXT;
@@ -1121,14 +1127,20 @@ class SaxesParser {
     while (true) {
       const code = this.getCode();
       switch (code) {
-      case LESS:
+      case LESS: {
         this.state = S_OPEN_WAKA;
-        this.text += chunk.slice(start, this.prevI);
-        if (this.text.length !== 0) {
-          this.closeText();
+        const { text } = this;
+        const slice = chunk.slice(start, this.prevI);
+        if (text.length !== 0) {
+          this.ontext(text + slice);
+          this.text = "";
+        }
+        else if (slice.length !== 0) {
+          this.ontext(slice);
         }
         // eslint-disable-next-line no-labels
         break outRootLoop;
+      }
       case AMP:
         this.state = S_ENTITY;
         this.entityReturnState = S_TEXT;
@@ -2049,8 +2061,10 @@ class SaxesParser {
         (this.state !== S_TEXT)) {
       this.fail("unexpected end.");
     }
-    if (this.text.length !== 0) {
-      this.closeText();
+    const { text } = this;
+    if (text.length !== 0) {
+      this.ontext(text);
+      this.text = "";
     }
     this.closed = true;
     this.onend();
@@ -2058,16 +2072,6 @@ class SaxesParser {
     return this;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * If there's text to emit ``ontext``, emit it.
-   *
-   * @private
-   */
-  closeText() {
-    this.ontext(this.text);
-    this.text = "";
-  }
-
   /**
    * Resolve a namespace prefix.
    *