diff --git a/src/builder/XMLBuilderCBImpl.ts b/src/builder/XMLBuilderCBImpl.ts
index 7904906..62687a3 100644
--- a/src/builder/XMLBuilderCBImpl.ts
+++ b/src/builder/XMLBuilderCBImpl.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export class XMLBuilderCBImpl extends EventEmitter implements XMLBuilderCB {
   private _hasDocumentElement = false
   private _currentElement?: XMLBuilder
   private _currentElementSerialized = false
-  private _openTags: Array<[string, string | null, NamespacePrefixMap, boolean]> = []
+  private _openTags: Array<[string, string | null, NamespacePrefixMap, boolean /** has children */, boolean | undefined /** has text payload */]> = []
 
   private _prefixMap: NamespacePrefixMap
   private _prefixIndex: PrefixIndex
@@ -217,6 +217,11 @@ export class XMLBuilderCBImpl extends EventEmitter implements XMLBuilderCB {
       .replace(/>/g, '&gt;')
 
     this._push(this._writer.text(markup))
+    const lastEl = this._openTags[this._openTags.length - 1]
+    // edge case: text on top level.
+    if (lastEl) {
+      lastEl[lastEl.length - 1] = true
+    }
     return this
   }
 
@@ -478,7 +483,7 @@ export class XMLBuilderCBImpl extends EventEmitter implements XMLBuilderCB {
      * Save qualified name, original inherited ns, original prefix map, and
      * hasChildren flag.
      */
-    this._openTags.push([qualifiedName, inheritedNS, this._prefixMap, hasChildren])
+    this._openTags.push([qualifiedName, inheritedNS, this._prefixMap, hasChildren, undefined])
 
     /**
      * New values of inherited namespace and prefix map will be used while
@@ -507,14 +512,14 @@ export class XMLBuilderCBImpl extends EventEmitter implements XMLBuilderCB {
       return
     }
 
-    const [qualifiedName, ns, map, hasChildren] = lastEle
+    const [qualifiedName, ns, map, hasChildren, hasTextPayload] = lastEle
     /**
      * Restore original values of inherited namespace and prefix map.
      */
     this._prefixMap = map
     if (!hasChildren) return
 
-    this._push(this._writer.closeTag(qualifiedName))
+    this._push(this._writer.closeTag(qualifiedName, hasTextPayload))
     this._writer.endElement(qualifiedName)
   }
 
diff --git a/src/writers/BaseCBWriter.ts b/src/writers/BaseCBWriter.ts
index 2a85ecb..2fe7e33 100644
--- a/src/writers/BaseCBWriter.ts
+++ b/src/writers/BaseCBWriter.ts
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ export abstract class BaseCBWriter<T extends BaseCBWriterOptions> {
    * 
    * @param name - node name
    */
+  abstract closeTag(name: string, hasTextPayload?: boolean): string
   abstract closeTag(name: string): string
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/writers/XMLCBWriter.ts b/src/writers/XMLCBWriter.ts
index ac1b087..5087b5e 100644
--- a/src/writers/XMLCBWriter.ts
+++ b/src/writers/XMLCBWriter.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export class XMLCBWriter extends BaseCBWriter<XMLCBWriterOptions> {
   }
   /** @inheritdoc */
   text(data: string): string {
-    return this._beginLine() + data
+    return data
   }
   /** @inheritdoc */
   instruction(target: string, data: string): string {
@@ -91,8 +91,9 @@ export class XMLCBWriter extends BaseCBWriter<XMLCBWriterOptions> {
     }
   }
   /** @inheritdoc */
-  closeTag(name: string): string {
-    return this._beginLine() + "</" + name + ">"
+  closeTag(name: string, hasTextPayload?: boolean): string {
+    const ending = hasTextPayload ? '' : this._beginLine();
+    return ending + "</" + name + ">";
   }
   /** @inheritdoc */
   attribute(name: string, value: string): string {
diff --git a/test/callback/object.test.ts b/test/callback/object.test.ts
index 7247ae2..5ed49ca 100644
--- a/test/callback/object.test.ts
+++ b/test/callback/object.test.ts
@@ -35,40 +35,24 @@ describe('object', () => {
 
     $$.expectCBResult(xmlStream, $$.t`
     <root>
-      <ele>
-        simple element
-      </ele>
+      <ele>simple element</ele>
       <person age="35">
-        <name>
-          John
-        </name>
+        <name>John</name>
         <?pi val?>
         <?pi?>
         <!--Good guy-->
         <![CDATA[well formed!]]>
         <address>
           <?pi?>
-          <city>
-            Istanbul
-          </city>
-          <street>
-            End of long and winding road
-          </street>
+          <city>Istanbul</city>
+          <street>End of long and winding road</street>
         </address>
         <contact>
-          <phone>
-            555-1234
-          </phone>
-          <phone>
-            555-1235
-          </phone>
+          <phone>555-1234</phone>
+          <phone>555-1235</phone>
         </contact>
-        <id>
-          42
-        </id>
-        <details>
-          classified
-        </details>
+        <id>42</id>
+        <details>classified</details>
       </person>
     </root>
     `, done)    
diff --git a/test/callback/parse.test.ts b/test/callback/parse.test.ts
index 1146a73..5052671 100644
--- a/test/callback/parse.test.ts
+++ b/test/callback/parse.test.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@ describe('parse()', () => {
     xmlStream.ele(str).end()
 
     $$.expectCBResult(xmlStream, $$.t`
-    <root att="val">
-      text
-    </root>
+    <root att="val">text</root>
     `, done)
   })
 
diff --git a/test/issues/issue-002.test.ts b/test/issues/issue-002.test.ts
index 8ef555d..22900d2 100644
--- a/test/issues/issue-002.test.ts
+++ b/test/issues/issue-002.test.ts
@@ -24,20 +24,12 @@ describe("Replicate issue", () => {
     <?xml version="1.0"?>
     <rss>
       <item>
-        <sku>
-          001
-        </sku>
-        <name>
-          Product name 1
-        </name>
+        <sku>001</sku>
+        <name>Product name 1</name>
       </item>
       <item>
-        <sku>
-          002
-        </sku>
-        <name>
-          Product name 2
-        </name>
+        <sku>002</sku>
+        <name>Product name 2</name>
       </item>
     </rss>
     `, done)
diff --git a/test/issues/issue-078.test.ts b/test/issues/issue-078.test.ts
index 5e4fb87..b4b5be4 100644
--- a/test/issues/issue-078.test.ts
+++ b/test/issues/issue-078.test.ts
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ describe("Replicate issue", () => {
     $$.expectCBResult(xmlStream, $$.t`
     <root>
       <title/>
-      <description>
-        Test description
-      </description>
+      <description>Test description</description>
     </root>
     `, done)
   })