diff --git a/dexter.c b/dexter.c
index d943a8b..4dc49d6 100644
--- a/dexter.c
+++ b/dexter.c
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ unlink(xmlNodePtr xml) {
   }
 }
 
+static bool 
+is_root(xmlElementPtr xml) {
+	return xml != NULL && xml->name != NULL && xml->prefix !=NULL && !strcmp(xml->name, "root") && !strcmp(xml->prefix, "dexter");
+}
+
 static void 
 prune(parsedDexPtr ptr, xmlNodePtr xml, char* err) {   
 	if(xml == NULL) return;
diff --git a/test/empty.json b/test/empty.json
index 0967ef4..ffcd441 100644
--- a/test/empty.json
+++ b/test/empty.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{}
+{ }
diff --git a/xml2json.c b/xml2json.c
index a866c41..7e35975 100644
--- a/xml2json.c
+++ b/xml2json.c
@@ -3,10 +3,7 @@
 #include "xml2json.h"
 #include <string.h>
 
-/**
- * Handles a simplified xml
- */
-struct json_object * xml2json(xmlNodePtr xml) {
+static struct json_object * _xml2json(xmlNodePtr xml) {
   if(xml == NULL) return NULL;
   
   xmlNodePtr child;
@@ -39,4 +36,13 @@ struct json_object * xml2json(xmlNodePtr xml) {
       break;
   }
   return json;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+/**
+ * Handles a simplified xml
+ */
+struct json_object * xml2json(xmlNodePtr xml) {
+	struct json_object * json = _xml2json(xml);
+	if(json == NULL) json = json_object_new_object();
+	return json;
+}