diff --git a/hxt.cabal b/hxt.cabal
--- a/hxt.cabal
+++ b/hxt.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- arch-tag: Haskell XML Toolbox main description file
 Name:           hxt
-Version:        9.3.1.12
+Version:        9.3.1.13
 Synopsis:       A collection of tools for processing XML with Haskell.
 Description:    The Haskell XML Toolbox bases on the ideas of HaXml and HXML,
                 but introduces a more general approach for processing XML with Haskell.
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
                 hxt-regex-xmlschema contain the extensions.
                 hxt-unicode contains encoding and decoding functions,
                 hxt-charproperties char properties for unicode and XML.
+                .
+                Changes from 9.3.1.12: Bug when unpickling an empty attribute value removed
                 .
                 Changes from 9.3.1.11: Bug fix in haddock comments
                 .
diff --git a/src/Text/XML/HXT/Arrow/Pickle/Xml.hs b/src/Text/XML/HXT/Arrow/Pickle/Xml.hs
--- a/src/Text/XML/HXT/Arrow/Pickle/Xml.hs
+++ b/src/Text/XML/HXT/Arrow/Pickle/Xml.hs
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@
 import qualified Control.Arrow.ListArrows         as X
 -- -}
 
+{- debug code
+import qualified Debug.Trace                      as T
+-- -}
+
 -- ------------------------------------------------------------
 
 data St         = St { attributes :: [XmlTree]
@@ -199,9 +203,14 @@
                      case findAtt as of
                        Nothing -> throwMsg $ "no attribute value found for " ++ show qn
                        Just (a, as') -> do modify (\ s -> s {attributes = as'})
-                                           return a
+                                           return $ nonEmptyVal a
     where
-      findAtt   = findElem (maybe False (== qn) . XN.getAttrName)
+      findAtt     = findElem (maybe False (== qn) . XN.getAttrName)
+      nonEmptyVal a'
+          | null (XN.getChildren a') = XN.setChildren [et] a'
+          | otherwise                = a'
+          where
+            et = XN.mkText ""
 
 getNSAtt        :: String -> Unpickler ()
 getNSAtt ns     = do as <- gets attributes
@@ -312,8 +321,8 @@
 
 unpickleElem'   :: PU a -> Int -> XmlTree -> UnpickleVal a
 unpickleElem' p l t
-    = fst
-      . runUP (appUnPickle p)
+    = -- T.trace ("unpickleElem': " ++ show t) $
+      ( fst . runUP (appUnPickle p) )
       $ St { attributes = fromMaybe [] .
                           XN.getAttrl $  t
            , contents   = XN.getChildren t
@@ -778,7 +787,7 @@
 xpInt                   :: PU Int
 xpInt                   = xpWrapEither (readMaybe, show) xpText
     where
-      readMaybe xs
+      readMaybe xs@(_:_)
           | all isDigit xs = Right . foldl' (\ r c -> 10 * r + (fromEnum c - fromEnum '0')) 0 $ xs
       readMaybe ('-' : xs) = fmap (0 -) . readMaybe $ xs
       readMaybe ('+' : xs) =              readMaybe $ xs