diff --git a/instant-xml-macros/src/ser.rs b/instant-xml-macros/src/ser.rs
index e17e703..40fff98 100644
--- a/instant-xml-macros/src/ser.rs
+++ b/instant-xml-macros/src/ser.rs
@@ -311,8 +311,13 @@ impl StructOutput {
             .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
             .map_err(|err| err.to_compile_error())?;
 
+        let mut attrs_only = true;
         let mut direct = None;
         for (field, field_meta) in &fields {
+            if !field_meta.attribute {
+                attrs_only = false;
+            }
+
             if direct.is_some() {
                 return Err(
                     syn::Error::new(field.span(), "direct field must be the last")
@@ -326,14 +331,15 @@ impl StructOutput {
         }
 
         if !inline {
-            self.body.extend(match direct {
-                Some(field) => quote!(
+            self.body.extend(match (attrs_only, direct) {
+                (true, _) => quote!(serializer.end_empty()?;),
+                (false, Some(field)) => quote!(
                     match self.#field.present() {
                         true => serializer.end_start()?,
                         false => serializer.end_empty()?,
                     }
                 ),
-                None => quote!(serializer.end_start()?;),
+                (false, None) => quote!(serializer.end_start()?;),
             })
         }
 
@@ -351,7 +357,7 @@ impl StructOutput {
             }
         }
 
-        if !inline {
+        if !inline && !attrs_only {
             let tag = meta.tag();
             self.body.extend(match direct {
                 Some(field) => quote!(
diff --git a/instant-xml/tests/attr-no-ns.rs b/instant-xml/tests/attributes.rs
similarity index 57%
rename from instant-xml/tests/attr-no-ns.rs
rename to instant-xml/tests/attributes.rs
index 759318c..c3f4f0b 100644
--- a/instant-xml/tests/attr-no-ns.rs
+++ b/instant-xml/tests/attributes.rs
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ struct Basic {
 #[test]
 fn basic() {
     assert_eq!(
-        from_str::<Basic>("<Basic flag=\"true\"></Basic>"),
+        from_str::<Basic>("<Basic flag=\"true\" />"),
         Ok(Basic { flag: true })
     );
 
     assert_eq!(
         to_string(&Basic { flag: true }).unwrap(),
-        "<Basic flag=\"true\"></Basic>"
+        "<Basic flag=\"true\" />"
     );
 }
 
@@ -31,3 +31,18 @@ fn empty() {
         Ok(Empty)
     );
 }
+
+#[derive(ToXml)]
+#[xml(ns(bar = "BAR"))]
+struct NoPrefixAttrNs {
+    #[xml(attribute, ns(bar))]
+    flag: bool,
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn no_prefix_attr_ns() {
+    assert_eq!(
+        to_string(&NoPrefixAttrNs { flag: true }).unwrap(),
+        "<NoPrefixAttrNs xmlns:bar=\"BAR\" bar:flag=\"true\" />"
+    );
+}
diff --git a/instant-xml/tests/de-direct.rs b/instant-xml/tests/de-direct.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index e3ec9f0..0000000
--- a/instant-xml/tests/de-direct.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,104 +0,0 @@
-use std::borrow::Cow;
-
-use similar_asserts::assert_eq;
-
-use instant_xml::{from_str, Error, FromXml};
-
-#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq, FromXml)]
-#[xml(ns("URI"))]
-struct StructDirectNamespace {
-    #[xml(ns("BAZ"))]
-    flag: bool,
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn direct_namespaces() {
-    // Correct direct namespace
-    assert_eq!(
-        from_str(
-            "<StructDirectNamespace xmlns=\"URI\"><flag xmlns=\"BAZ\">true</flag></StructDirectNamespace>"
-        ),
-        Ok(StructDirectNamespace { flag: true })
-    );
-
-    // Wrong direct namespace
-    assert_eq!(
-        from_str(
-            "<StructDirectNamespace xmlns=\"URI\"><flag xmlns=\"WRONG\">true</flag></StructDirectNamespace>"
-        ),
-        Err::<StructDirectNamespace, _>(Error::MissingValue("StructDirectNamespace::flag"))
-    );
-
-    // Wrong direct namespace - missing namespace
-    assert_eq!(
-        from_str("<StructDirectNamespace xmlns=\"URI\"><flag>true</flag></StructDirectNamespace>"),
-        Err::<StructDirectNamespace, _>(Error::MissingValue("StructDirectNamespace::flag"))
-    );
-}
-
-#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq, FromXml)]
-struct DirectString {
-    s: String,
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn direct_string() {
-    assert_eq!(
-        from_str("<DirectString><s>hello</s></DirectString>"),
-        Ok(DirectString {
-            s: "hello".to_string()
-        })
-    );
-}
-
-#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq, FromXml)]
-struct DirectStr<'a> {
-    s: Cow<'a, str>,
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn direct_empty_str() {
-    assert_eq!(
-        from_str("<DirectStr><s></s></DirectStr>"),
-        Ok(DirectStr { s: "".into() })
-    );
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn direct_missing_string() {
-    assert_eq!(
-        from_str("<DirectString></DirectString>"),
-        Err::<DirectString, _>(Error::MissingValue("DirectString::s"))
-    );
-}
-
-#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, FromXml)]
-struct ArtUri {
-    #[xml(direct)]
-    uri: String,
-}
-
-#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, FromXml)]
-struct Container {
-    art: Option<ArtUri>,
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn container_empty_string() {
-    assert_eq!(
-        from_str("<Container><ArtUri></ArtUri></Container>"),
-        Ok(Container {
-            art: Some(ArtUri {
-                uri: "".to_string()
-            })
-        })
-    );
-    assert_eq!(
-        from_str("<Container><ArtUri/></Container>"),
-        Ok(Container {
-            art: Some(ArtUri {
-                uri: "".to_string()
-            })
-        })
-    );
-}
diff --git a/instant-xml/tests/direct-no-value.rs b/instant-xml/tests/direct-no-value.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 3339d7f..0000000
--- a/instant-xml/tests/direct-no-value.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-use instant_xml::{from_str, to_string, FromXml, ToXml};
-
-#[derive(ToXml, FromXml, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
-struct Foo {
-    #[xml(attribute)]
-    attribute: Option<String>,
-    #[xml(direct)]
-    direct: Option<String>,
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn serde_direct_no_value_test() {
-    let v = Foo {
-        attribute: Some("Attribute text".to_string()),
-        direct: None,
-    };
-    let xml = r#"<Foo attribute="Attribute text" />"#;
-
-    assert_eq!(xml, to_string(&v).unwrap()); //this fails because the serializer still writes "<Foo attribute=\"Attribute text\"></Foo>"
-    assert_eq!(from_str::<Foo>(xml).unwrap(), v); //this fails because the serializer still writes Some("") to direct
-}
diff --git a/instant-xml/tests/direct.rs b/instant-xml/tests/direct.rs
index 17e1f28..445cb9d 100644
--- a/instant-xml/tests/direct.rs
+++ b/instant-xml/tests/direct.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+use std::borrow::Cow;
+
 use similar_asserts::assert_eq;
 
-use instant_xml::{from_str, to_string, FromXml, ToXml};
+use instant_xml::{from_str, to_string, Error, FromXml, ToXml};
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Eq, FromXml, PartialEq, ToXml)]
 struct Foo {
@@ -30,3 +32,122 @@ fn direct() {
     let xml = "<!--comment--><Foo flag=\"true\"><!--comment-->cbdté</Foo><!--comment-->";
     assert_eq!(from_str::<Foo>(xml), Ok(v));
 }
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq, FromXml)]
+#[xml(ns("URI"))]
+struct StructDirectNamespace {
+    #[xml(ns("BAZ"))]
+    flag: bool,
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn direct_namespaces() {
+    // Correct direct namespace
+    assert_eq!(
+        from_str(
+            "<StructDirectNamespace xmlns=\"URI\"><flag xmlns=\"BAZ\">true</flag></StructDirectNamespace>"
+        ),
+        Ok(StructDirectNamespace { flag: true })
+    );
+
+    // Wrong direct namespace
+    assert_eq!(
+        from_str(
+            "<StructDirectNamespace xmlns=\"URI\"><flag xmlns=\"WRONG\">true</flag></StructDirectNamespace>"
+        ),
+        Err::<StructDirectNamespace, _>(Error::MissingValue("StructDirectNamespace::flag"))
+    );
+
+    // Wrong direct namespace - missing namespace
+    assert_eq!(
+        from_str("<StructDirectNamespace xmlns=\"URI\"><flag>true</flag></StructDirectNamespace>"),
+        Err::<StructDirectNamespace, _>(Error::MissingValue("StructDirectNamespace::flag"))
+    );
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq, FromXml)]
+struct DirectString {
+    s: String,
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn direct_string() {
+    assert_eq!(
+        from_str("<DirectString><s>hello</s></DirectString>"),
+        Ok(DirectString {
+            s: "hello".to_string()
+        })
+    );
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq, FromXml)]
+struct DirectStr<'a> {
+    s: Cow<'a, str>,
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn direct_empty_str() {
+    assert_eq!(
+        from_str("<DirectStr><s></s></DirectStr>"),
+        Ok(DirectStr { s: "".into() })
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn direct_missing_string() {
+    assert_eq!(
+        from_str("<DirectString></DirectString>"),
+        Err::<DirectString, _>(Error::MissingValue("DirectString::s"))
+    );
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, FromXml)]
+struct ArtUri {
+    #[xml(direct)]
+    uri: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, FromXml)]
+struct Container {
+    art: Option<ArtUri>,
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn container_empty_string() {
+    assert_eq!(
+        from_str("<Container><ArtUri></ArtUri></Container>"),
+        Ok(Container {
+            art: Some(ArtUri {
+                uri: "".to_string()
+            })
+        })
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        from_str("<Container><ArtUri/></Container>"),
+        Ok(Container {
+            art: Some(ArtUri {
+                uri: "".to_string()
+            })
+        })
+    );
+}
+
+#[derive(ToXml, FromXml, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+struct Options {
+    #[xml(attribute)]
+    attribute: Option<String>,
+    #[xml(direct)]
+    direct: Option<String>,
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn direct_options() {
+    let v = Options {
+        attribute: Some("Attribute text".to_string()),
+        direct: None,
+    };
+    let xml = r#"<Options attribute="Attribute text" />"#;
+
+    assert_eq!(xml, to_string(&v).unwrap());
+    assert_eq!(from_str::<Options>(xml).unwrap(), v);
+}
diff --git a/instant-xml/tests/option.rs b/instant-xml/tests/option.rs
index 5a597a2..e812ccd 100644
--- a/instant-xml/tests/option.rs
+++ b/instant-xml/tests/option.rs
@@ -31,13 +31,13 @@ fn option_borrow() {
     let v = Bar {
         maybe: Some("a".into()),
     };
-    let xml = r#"<Bar maybe="a"></Bar>"#;
+    let xml = r#"<Bar maybe="a" />"#;
 
     assert_eq!(xml, to_string(&v).unwrap());
     assert_eq!(v, from_str(xml).unwrap());
 
     let v = Bar { maybe: None };
-    let xml = r#"<Bar></Bar>"#;
+    let xml = r#"<Bar />"#;
 
     assert_eq!(xml, to_string(&v).unwrap());
     assert_eq!(v, from_str(xml).unwrap());
diff --git a/instant-xml/tests/rename.rs b/instant-xml/tests/rename.rs
index dd38774..65411be 100644
--- a/instant-xml/tests/rename.rs
+++ b/instant-xml/tests/rename.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ fn renamed() {
 
     assert_eq!(
         to_string(&Renamed { flag: true }).unwrap(),
-        "<renamed renamed=\"true\"></renamed>"
+        "<renamed renamed=\"true\" />"
     );
 }
 
diff --git a/instant-xml/tests/ser-attr-ns.rs b/instant-xml/tests/ser-attr-ns.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 603bb3f..0000000
--- a/instant-xml/tests/ser-attr-ns.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-use similar_asserts::assert_eq;
-
-use instant_xml::{to_string, ToXml};
-
-#[derive(ToXml)]
-#[xml(ns(bar = "BAR"))]
-struct NoPrefixAttrNs {
-    #[xml(attribute, ns(bar))]
-    flag: bool,
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn no_prefix_attr_ns() {
-    assert_eq!(
-        to_string(&NoPrefixAttrNs { flag: true }).unwrap(),
-        "<NoPrefixAttrNs xmlns:bar=\"BAR\" bar:flag=\"true\"></NoPrefixAttrNs>"
-    );
-}