diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index 8eedf63d..0c6a6668 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -126,7 +126,9 @@ var parseObject = function (chain, val, options, valuesParsed) {
         var root = chain[i];
 
         if (root === '[]' && options.parseArrays) {
-            obj = options.allowEmptyArrays && leaf === '' ? [] : [].concat(leaf);
+            obj = options.allowEmptyArrays && (leaf === '' || (options.strictNullHandling && leaf === null))
+                ? []
+                : [].concat(leaf);
         } else {
             obj = options.plainObjects ? Object.create(null) : {};
             var cleanRoot = root.charAt(0) === '[' && root.charAt(root.length - 1) === ']' ? root.slice(1, -1) : root;
diff --git a/test/parse.js b/test/parse.js
index 8724b2cc..2bf4c411 100644
--- a/test/parse.js
+++ b/test/parse.js
@@ -183,6 +183,15 @@ test('parse()', function (t) {
         st.end();
     });
 
+    t.test('allowEmptyArrays + strictNullHandling', function (st) {
+        st.deepEqual(
+            qs.parse('testEmptyArray[]', { strictNullHandling: true, allowEmptyArrays: true }),
+            { testEmptyArray: [] }
+        );
+
+        st.end();
+    });
+
     t.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[b]=c'), { a: { b: 'c' } }, 'parses a single nested string');
     t.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[b][c]=d'), { a: { b: { c: 'd' } } }, 'parses a double nested string');
     t.deepEqual(
diff --git a/test/stringify.js b/test/stringify.js
index 22fcfda2..12b1c71d 100644
--- a/test/stringify.js
+++ b/test/stringify.js
@@ -315,6 +315,18 @@ test('stringify()', function (t) {
         st.end();
     });
 
+    t.test('allowEmptyArrays + strictNullHandling', function (st) {
+        st.equal(
+            qs.stringify(
+                { testEmptyArray: [] },
+                { strictNullHandling: true, allowEmptyArrays: true }
+            ),
+            'testEmptyArray[]'
+        );
+
+        st.end();
+    });
+
     t.test('stringifies an array value with one item vs multiple items', function (st) {
         st.test('non-array item', function (s2t) {
             s2t.equal(qs.stringify({ a: 'c' }, { encodeValuesOnly: true, arrayFormat: 'indices' }), 'a=c');