diff --git a/src/cheetah_string.rs b/src/cheetah_string.rs
index c440f8e..36c3d98 100644
--- a/src/cheetah_string.rs
+++ b/src/cheetah_string.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
-const EMPTY_STRING: &str = "";
+pub const EMPTY_STRING: &str = "";
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 #[repr(transparent)]
@@ -195,6 +195,12 @@ impl AsRef<[u8]> for CheetahString {
     }
 }
 
+impl AsRef<CheetahString> for CheetahString {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &CheetahString {
+        self
+    }
+}
+
 impl From<&String> for CheetahString {
     fn from(s: &String) -> Self {
         CheetahString::from_slice(s)
diff --git a/src/serde.rs b/src/serde.rs
index f0c4a78..010a221 100644
--- a/src/serde.rs
+++ b/src/serde.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::cheetah_string::InnerString;
+use crate::cheetah_string::{InnerString, EMPTY_STRING};
 use crate::CheetahString;
 use serde::de::{Error, Unexpected, Visitor};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer};
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ impl Serialize for CheetahString {
             InnerString::ArcVecString(s) => serializer.serialize_bytes(s),
             #[cfg(feature = "bytes")]
             InnerString::Bytes(bytes) => serializer.serialize_bytes(bytes.as_ref()),
-            InnerString::Empty => serializer.serialize_bytes(&[]),
+            InnerString::Empty => serializer.serialize_str(EMPTY_STRING),
         }
     }
 }