diff --git a/identity-mdoc/src/main/java/com/android/identity/mdoc/response/DeviceResponseGenerator.kt b/identity-mdoc/src/main/java/com/android/identity/mdoc/response/DeviceResponseGenerator.kt
index 3d5901d2e..179e563ed 100644
--- a/identity-mdoc/src/main/java/com/android/identity/mdoc/response/DeviceResponseGenerator.kt
+++ b/identity-mdoc/src/main/java/com/android/identity/mdoc/response/DeviceResponseGenerator.kt
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import com.android.identity.cbor.Tagged
  */
 class DeviceResponseGenerator(private val mStatusCode: Long) {
     private val mDocumentsBuilder = CborArray.builder()
+    private var mDocumentAdded = false
 
     /**
      * Adds a new document to the device response.
@@ -87,6 +88,8 @@ class DeviceResponseGenerator(private val mStatusCode: Long) {
         errors: Map<String?, Map<String?, Long?>>?,
         encodedIssuerAuth: ByteArray
     ) = apply {
+        mDocumentAdded = true
+
         val insOuter = CborMap.builder()
         for ((ns, encodedIssuerSignedItemBytesList) in issuerNameSpaces) {
             insOuter.putArray(ns!!).let { insInner ->
@@ -150,6 +153,8 @@ class DeviceResponseGenerator(private val mStatusCode: Long) {
      * @return the generator.
      */
     fun addDocument(encodedDocument: ByteArray) = apply {
+        mDocumentAdded = true
+
         mDocumentsBuilder.add(Cbor.decode(encodedDocument))
     }
 
@@ -161,7 +166,9 @@ class DeviceResponseGenerator(private val mStatusCode: Long) {
     fun generate(): ByteArray =
         CborMap.builder().run {
             put("version", "1.0")
-            put("documents", mDocumentsBuilder.end().build())
+            if (mDocumentAdded) {
+                put("documents", mDocumentsBuilder.end().build())
+            }
             // TODO: The documentErrors map entry should only be present if there is a non-zero
             //  number of elements in the array. Right now we don't have a way for the application
             //  to convey document errors but when we add that API we'll need to do something so
diff --git a/identity-mdoc/src/test/java/com/android/identity/mdoc/response/DeviceResponseGeneratorTest.kt b/identity-mdoc/src/test/java/com/android/identity/mdoc/response/DeviceResponseGeneratorTest.kt
index 376350f16..c99dfb8be 100644
--- a/identity-mdoc/src/test/java/com/android/identity/mdoc/response/DeviceResponseGeneratorTest.kt
+++ b/identity-mdoc/src/test/java/com/android/identity/mdoc/response/DeviceResponseGeneratorTest.kt
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import com.android.identity.securearea.software.SoftwareSecureArea
 import com.android.identity.storage.EphemeralStorageEngine
 import com.android.identity.storage.StorageEngine
 import com.android.identity.util.Timestamp
+import com.android.identity.util.fromHex
 import kotlinx.datetime.Clock
 import kotlinx.datetime.Instant
 import org.bouncycastle.jce.provider.BouncyCastleProvider
@@ -544,6 +545,17 @@ class DeviceResponseGeneratorTest {
         Assert.assertEquals("foo1", doc.getIssuerEntryString("ns2", "bar1"))
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @Throws(Exception::class)
+    fun testDocumentGeneratorNoDocuments() {
+        val deviceResponseGenerator = DeviceResponseGenerator(20)
+        val encodedDeviceResponse = deviceResponseGenerator.generate()
+
+        // cbor of a DeviceResponse with no documents key: {"version": "1.0", "status": 20}
+        Assert.assertArrayEquals("A26776657273696F6E63312E306673746174757314".fromHex, encodedDeviceResponse)
+    }
+
+
     companion object {
         const val DOC_TYPE = "com.example.document_xyz"
     }