diff --git a/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_data_viewset.py b/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_data_viewset.py
index c7cc28e5bf..54f8afcbd7 100644
--- a/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_data_viewset.py
+++ b/onadata/apps/api/tests/viewsets/test_data_viewset.py
@@ -2565,6 +2565,33 @@ def test_data_list_xml_format(self):
             '</submission-item></submission-batch>')
         self.assertEqual(expected_xml, returned_xml)
 
+    def test_invalid_xml_elements_not_present(self):
+        """
+        Test invalid XML elements such as #text are not present in XML Response
+        """
+        self._make_submission(os.path.join(
+            self.this_directory, 'fixtures',
+            'transportation', 'instances', 'transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2',
+            'transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2.xml'))
+        media_file = "1335783522563.jpg"
+        self._make_submission_w_attachment(os.path.join(
+            self.this_directory, 'fixtures',
+            'transportation', 'instances', 'transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2',
+            'transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2.xml'),
+            os.path.join(self.this_directory, 'fixtures',
+                         'transportation', 'instances',
+                         'transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2', media_file))
+
+        view = DataViewSet.as_view({'get': 'list'})
+        request = self.factory.get('/', **self.extra)
+        response = view(request, pk=self.xform.pk, format='xml')
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+
+        # Ensure XML is well formed
+        response.render()
+        returned_xml = response.content.decode('utf-8')
+        ET.fromstring(returned_xml)
+
     @override_settings(STREAM_DATA=True)
     def test_data_list_xml_format_no_data(self):
         """Test DataViewSet Query list XML"""
diff --git a/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/1335783522563.jpg b/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/1335783522563.jpg
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..e8d953e387
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diff --git a/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/1335783522564.JPG b/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/1335783522564.JPG
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..e8d953e387
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diff --git a/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/1442323232322.jpg b/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/1442323232322.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0bc0af9653
Binary files /dev/null and b/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/1442323232322.jpg differ
diff --git a/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2.xml b/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2.xml
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a0e4c5cca0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/onadata/apps/main/tests/fixtures/transportation/instances/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2/transport_2011-07-25_19-05-49_2.xml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<?xml version='1.0' ?><transportation id="transportation_2011_07_25" version="2014111"><transport><available_transportation_types_to_referral_facility>none</available_transportation_types_to_referral_facility><loop_over_transport_types_frequency><ambulance /><bicycle /><boat_canoe /><bus /><donkey_mule_cart /><keke_pepe /><lorry /><motorbike /><taxi /><other /></loop_over_transport_types_frequency></transport><image1 type="file">1335783522563.jpg</image1><meta><instanceID>uuid:5b2cc313-fc09-437e-8149-fcd32f695d41</instanceID></meta></transportation>
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 = {