diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/xml.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/xml.md
index 4238e971..30349f06 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/xml.md
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/xml.md
@@ -319,7 +319,10 @@ Defaults to true
 Given a sample.xml file of:
 ```xml
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url"></map>
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url">
+  <item foo="bar">baz</item>
+  <xsi:item>foobar</xsi:item>
+</map>
 
 ```
 then
@@ -329,13 +332,19 @@ yq --xml-keep-namespace=false '.' sample.xml
 will output
 ```xml
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<map xmlns="some-namespace" xsi="some-instance" schemaLocation="some-url"></map>
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xsi="some-instance" schemaLocation="some-url">
+  <item foo="bar">baz</item>
+  <item>foobar</item>
+</map>
 ```
 
 instead of
 ```xml
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url"></map>
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url">
+  <item foo="bar">baz</item>
+  <item>foobar</item>
+</map>
 ```
 
 ## Parse xml: keep raw attribute namespace
@@ -344,7 +353,10 @@ Defaults to true
 Given a sample.xml file of:
 ```xml
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url"></map>
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url">
+  <item foo="bar">baz</item>
+  <xsi:item>foobar</xsi:item>
+</map>
 
 ```
 then
@@ -354,13 +366,19 @@ yq --xml-raw-token=false '.' sample.xml
 will output
 ```xml
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" some-instance:schemaLocation="some-url"></map>
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" some-instance:schemaLocation="some-url">
+  <item foo="bar">baz</item>
+  <item>foobar</item>
+</map>
 ```
 
 instead of
 ```xml
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url"></map>
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url">
+  <item foo="bar">baz</item>
+  <item>foobar</item>
+</map>
 ```
 
 ## Encode xml: simple
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/xml_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/xml_test.go
index 08e1f0ae..f17d5581 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/xml_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/xml_test.go
@@ -188,7 +188,10 @@ above_cat
 `
 
 const inputXMLWithNamespacedAttr = `<?xml version="1.0"?>
-<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url"></map>
+<map xmlns="some-namespace" xmlns:xsi="some-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="some-url">
+  <item foo="bar">baz</item>
+  <xsi:item>foobar</xsi:item>
+</map>
 `
 
 const expectedYAMLWithNamespacedAttr = `+p_xml: version="1.0"
@@ -196,6 +199,10 @@ map:
   +@xmlns: some-namespace
   +@xmlns:xsi: some-instance
   +@xsi:schemaLocation: some-url
+  item:
+    - +content: baz
+      +@foo: bar
+    - foobar
 `
 
 const expectedYAMLWithRawNamespacedAttr = `+p_xml: version="1.0"
@@ -203,6 +210,10 @@ map:
   +@xmlns: some-namespace
   +@xmlns:xsi: some-instance
   +@xsi:schemaLocation: some-url
+  item:
+    - +content: baz
+      +@foo: bar
+    - foobar
 `
 
 const expectedYAMLWithoutRawNamespacedAttr = `+p_xml: version="1.0"
@@ -210,6 +221,10 @@ map:
   +@xmlns: some-namespace
   +@xmlns:xsi: some-instance
   +@some-instance:schemaLocation: some-url
+  item:
+    - +content: baz
+      +@foo: bar
+    - foobar
 `
 
 const xmlWithCustomDtd = `