diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 5a56753..0a52015 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1238,7 +1238,8 @@ answer.decode = function (buf, offset) {
 answer.decode.bytes = 0
 
 answer.encodingLength = function (a) {
-  return name.encodingLength(a.name) + 8 + renc(a.type).encodingLength(a.data || a.options)
+  const data = (a.data !== null && a.data !== undefined) ? a.data : a.options
+  return name.encodingLength(a.name) + 8 + renc(a.type).encodingLength(data)
 }
 
 const question = exports.question = {}
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 780dd12..b7a4552 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -221,6 +221,15 @@ tape('response', function (t) {
     }]
   })
 
+  testEncoder(t, packet, {
+    type: 'response',
+    answers: [{
+      type: 'TXT',
+      name: 'emptytxt.com',
+      data: ''
+    }]
+  })
+
   t.end()
 })
 
@@ -497,8 +506,13 @@ function compare (t, a, b) {
   if (typeof a === 'object' && a && b) {
     const keys = Object.keys(a)
     for (let i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
-      if (!compare(t, a[keys[i]], b[keys[i]])) return false
+      if (!compare(t, a[keys[i]], b[keys[i]])) {
+        return false
+      }
     }
+  } else if (Array.isArray(b) && !Array.isArray(a)) {
+    // TXT always decode as array
+    return a.toString() === b[0].toString()
   } else {
     return a === b
   }