diff --git a/serialize2.js b/serialize2.js
index ce5655b..7309cb3 100644
--- a/serialize2.js
+++ b/serialize2.js
@@ -328,7 +328,10 @@ module.eJSON = {
 					&& initial.length++
 				continue }
 			if(str.slice(i, i+EMPTY.length) == EMPTY){
+				index++
 				i += EMPTY.length
+				if(str[i] == ','){
+					i++ }
 				// XXX this feels hackish -- can this be deligated to the handler???
 				initial instanceof Array
 					&& initial.length++
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index e3f2f40..3ccc28a 100755
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ var setups = test.Setups({
 		return '[]' },
 	// XXX BUG: trailing <empty> gets duplicated...
 	'array-sparse': function(assert){
-		return '[1,<empty>,<empty>,2,<empty>]' },
+		return '[<empty>,1,<empty>,<empty>,2,<empty>]' },
 
 	'object-empty': function(assert){
 		return '{}' },