diff --git a/include/fkYAML/detail/output/serializer.hpp b/include/fkYAML/detail/output/serializer.hpp
index 6cca9597..6eb721be 100644
--- a/include/fkYAML/detail/output/serializer.hpp
+++ b/include/fkYAML/detail/output/serializer.hpp
@@ -155,17 +155,23 @@ class basic_serializer {
                     str += " ";
                     serialize_node(seq_item, cur_indent, str);
                     str += "\n";
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                const bool is_empty = seq_item.empty();
+                if (!is_empty) {
+                    str += "\n";
+                    serialize_node(seq_item, cur_indent + 2, str);
+                    continue;
                 }
-                else if (seq_item.is_sequence() && seq_item.size() == 0) {
+
+                // an empty sequence or mapping
+                if (seq_item.is_sequence()) {
                     str += " []\n";
                 }
-                else if (seq_item.is_mapping() && seq_item.size() == 0) {
+                else /*seq_item.is_mapping()*/ {
                     str += " {}\n";
                 }
-                else {
-                    str += "\n";
-                    serialize_node(seq_item, cur_indent + 2, str);
-                }
             }
             break;
         case node_type::MAPPING:
@@ -212,17 +218,23 @@ class basic_serializer {
                     str += " ";
                     serialize_node(*itr, cur_indent, str);
                     str += "\n";
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                const bool is_empty = itr->empty();
+                if (!is_empty) {
+                    str += "\n";
+                    serialize_node(*itr, cur_indent + 2, str);
+                    continue;
                 }
-                else if (itr->is_sequence() && itr->size() == 0) {
+
+                // an empty sequence or mapping
+                if (itr->is_sequence()) {
                     str += " []\n";
                 }
-                else if (itr->is_mapping() && itr->size() == 0) {
+                else /*itr->is_mapping()*/ {
                     str += " {}\n";
                 }
-                else {
-                    str += "\n";
-                    serialize_node(*itr, cur_indent + 2, str);
-                }
             }
             break;
         case node_type::NULL_OBJECT:
diff --git a/single_include/fkYAML/node.hpp b/single_include/fkYAML/node.hpp
index 7afa3471..36d2290c 100644
--- a/single_include/fkYAML/node.hpp
+++ b/single_include/fkYAML/node.hpp
@@ -10529,17 +10529,23 @@ class basic_serializer {
                     str += " ";
                     serialize_node(seq_item, cur_indent, str);
                     str += "\n";
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                const bool is_empty = seq_item.empty();
+                if (!is_empty) {
+                    str += "\n";
+                    serialize_node(seq_item, cur_indent + 2, str);
+                    continue;
                 }
-                else if (seq_item.is_sequence() && seq_item.size() == 0) {
+
+                // an empty sequence or mapping
+                if (seq_item.is_sequence()) {
                     str += " []\n";
                 }
-                else if (seq_item.is_mapping() && seq_item.size() == 0) {
+                else /*seq_item.is_mapping()*/ {
                     str += " {}\n";
                 }
-                else {
-                    str += "\n";
-                    serialize_node(seq_item, cur_indent + 2, str);
-                }
             }
             break;
         case node_type::MAPPING:
@@ -10586,17 +10592,23 @@ class basic_serializer {
                     str += " ";
                     serialize_node(*itr, cur_indent, str);
                     str += "\n";
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                const bool is_empty = itr->empty();
+                if (!is_empty) {
+                    str += "\n";
+                    serialize_node(*itr, cur_indent + 2, str);
+                    continue;
                 }
-                else if (itr->is_sequence() && itr->size() == 0) {
+
+                // an empty sequence or mapping
+                if (itr->is_sequence()) {
                     str += " []\n";
                 }
-                else if (itr->is_mapping() && itr->size() == 0) {
+                else /*itr->is_mapping()*/ {
                     str += " {}\n";
                 }
-                else {
-                    str += "\n";
-                    serialize_node(*itr, cur_indent + 2, str);
-                }
             }
             break;
         case node_type::NULL_OBJECT:
diff --git a/tests/unit_test/test_serializer_class.cpp b/tests/unit_test/test_serializer_class.cpp
index 7af79193..4e25634c 100644
--- a/tests/unit_test/test_serializer_class.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit_test/test_serializer_class.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,36 @@ TEST_CASE("Serializer_MappingNode") {
     REQUIRE(serializer.serialize(node_str_pair.first) == node_str_pair.second);
 }
 
+TEST_CASE("Serializer_EmptyCollectionNode") {
+    auto seq = fkyaml::node::sequence();
+    auto map = fkyaml::node::mapping();
+    fkyaml::detail::basic_serializer<fkyaml::node> serializer;
+
+    SECTION("child sequence item is an empty sequence node") {
+        seq.get_value_ref<fkyaml::node::sequence_type&>().emplace_back(fkyaml::node::sequence());
+        std::string expected = "- []\n";
+        REQUIRE(serializer.serialize(seq) == expected);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("child sequence item is an empty mapping node") {
+        seq.get_value_ref<fkyaml::node::sequence_type&>().emplace_back(fkyaml::node::mapping());
+        std::string expected = "- {}\n";
+        REQUIRE(serializer.serialize(seq) == expected);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("mapping value is an empty sequence node") {
+        map["foo"] = seq;
+        std::string expected = "foo: []\n";
+        REQUIRE(serializer.serialize(map) == expected);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("mapping value is an empty mapping node") {
+        map["foo"] = fkyaml::node::mapping();
+        std::string expected = "foo: {}\n";
+        REQUIRE(serializer.serialize(map) == expected);
+    }
+}
+
 TEST_CASE("Serializer_NullNode") {
     fkyaml::detail::basic_serializer<fkyaml::node> serializer;
     fkyaml::node node;