diff --git a/onadata/libs/renderers/renderers.py b/onadata/libs/renderers/renderers.py
index b8833eea40..297f7de322 100644
--- a/onadata/libs/renderers/renderers.py
+++ b/onadata/libs/renderers/renderers.py
@@ -408,7 +408,9 @@ def _to_xml(self, xml, data):
 
         elif isinstance(data, dict):
             for key, value in data.items():
-                if isinstance(value, (list, tuple)):
+                if not key:
+                    self._to_xml(xml, value)
+                elif isinstance(value, (list, tuple)):
                     for v in value:
                         xml.startElement(key, {})
                         self._to_xml(xml, v)
@@ -419,7 +421,6 @@ def _to_xml(self, xml, data):
                     xml.startElement(key, attributes)
                     self._to_xml(xml, value)
                     xml.endElement(key)
-
                 else:
                     xml.startElement(key, {})
                     self._to_xml(xml, value)
diff --git a/onadata/libs/serializers/data_serializer.py b/onadata/libs/serializers/data_serializer.py
index 495e8ae615..7a3d3cba00 100644
--- a/onadata/libs/serializers/data_serializer.py
+++ b/onadata/libs/serializers/data_serializer.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def to_representation(self, instance):
         ret = super(
             DataInstanceXMLSerializer, self).to_representation(instance)
         if 'xml' in ret:
-            ret = xmltodict.parse(ret['xml'])
+            ret = xmltodict.parse(ret['xml'], cdata_key="")
 
         # Add Instance attributes to representation
         instance_attributes = {