diff --git a/src/examples/car-to-star.rs b/src/examples/car-to-star.rs
index 5337a78..5d974ac 100644
--- a/src/examples/car-to-star.rs
+++ b/src/examples/car-to-star.rs
@@ -49,10 +49,22 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     let repo_commit: RepoCommit = serde_ipld_dagcbor::from_slice(commit_bytes)?;
 
+    let root_bytes = blocks
+        .get(&repo_commit.data)
+        .context("repo data cannot be null")?;
+    let root_node: RepoMstNode =
+        serde_ipld_dagcbor::from_slice(root_bytes).context("root must be an mst node")?;
+
+    let star_data = if root_node.l.is_none() && root_node.e.is_empty() {
+        None
+    } else {
+        Some(repo_commit.data)
+    };
+
     let star_commit = StarCommit {
         did: repo_commit.did,
         version: repo_commit.version,
-        data: Some(repo_commit.data),
+        data: star_data,
         rev: repo_commit.rev,
         prev: repo_commit.prev,
         sig: repo_commit.sig,
@@ -62,9 +74,14 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     serializer.write_header(&star_commit)?;
     println!("wrote header. Root: {}", repo_commit.data);
-    println!("writing tree...");
-    let (nodes, records) = write_tree(repo_commit.data, &blocks, &mut serializer)?;
-    println!("wrote {nodes} nodes and {records} records.");
+
+    if let Some(root_cid) = star_commit.data {
+        println!("writing tree...");
+        let (nodes, records) = write_tree(root_cid, &blocks, &mut serializer)?;
+        println!("wrote {nodes} nodes and {records} records.");
+    } else {
+        println!("empty MST, no tree written.");
+    }
 
     serializer.finish()?;
     println!("Done!");
diff --git a/src/examples/star-debug.rs b/src/examples/star-debug.rs
index 45f7c15..3560d9f 100644
--- a/src/examples/star-debug.rs
+++ b/src/examples/star-debug.rs
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
                 println!("  Root: {:?}", c.data);
             }
             StarItem::Node(n) => {
-                // print_node(&n);
+                print_node(&n);
             }
             StarItem::Record { key, cid, .. } => {
-                // println!("  Record: key={}, cid={}", to_hex(&key), cid);
+                println!("  Record: key={}, cid={}", to_hex(&key), cid);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/star-samples/empty.star b/star-samples/empty.star
index 924b0a534e607c3d8c94c9e23ca5e658e63de27d..84ee8666fc8440e842233cbcfa9fc6f22c899a98 100644
GIT binary patch
delta 23
ecmdnR*u%)G#n{2PWFl)FXL?y`QE_H|9y0(@hzBzO

delta 69
zcmeBS+{MVM#kh@e=|t8#^OTgtlEfQY5vmM~g+dB*|NTq6TlUKK)Keylh7HY?SF7$T
ac<AQeepEWC^P78mb$VH9QE_H|9y0*KBpuiQ