diff --git a/src/enc/mod.rs b/src/enc/mod.rs
index 73ab16c..9909287 100644
--- a/src/enc/mod.rs
+++ b/src/enc/mod.rs
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ pub fn list_flatten<'a, I: IntoIterator<Item = Term<'a>>>(terms: I) -> Result<'a
     Ok(Term(T::List(tmp)))
 }
 
-/// Term corresponding to a list of terms. Sub-lists are represented as NESTED: `{ . = sub list items }`.
+/// Term corresponding to a list of terms. Sub-lists are represented as NESTED: `{.= sub list items }`.
 pub fn list_nested<'a, I: IntoIterator<Item = Term<'a>>>(terms: I) -> Result<'a> {
     let mut tmp = Vec::with_capacity(8);
     for t in terms {
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ impl<'a> Term<'a> {
     /// ```
     /// use nettext::enc::*;
     ///
-    /// assert_eq!(list([string("hello").unwrap(), string("world").unwrap()]).unwrap().nested().encode(), b"{ . = hello world }");
+    /// assert_eq!(list([string("hello").unwrap(), string("world").unwrap()]).unwrap().nested().encode(), b"{.= hello world }");
     /// ```
     #[must_use]
     pub fn nested(self) -> Term<'a> {
@@ -266,10 +266,14 @@ impl<'a> T<'a> {
                 if d.is_empty() {
                     buf.extend_from_slice(b"{}");
                 } else if d.len() == 1 {
-                    buf.extend_from_slice(b"{ ");
                     let (k, v) = d.into_iter().next().unwrap();
-                    buf.extend_from_slice(k.borrow());
-                    buf.extend_from_slice(b" = ");
+					if k.as_ref() == b"." {
+						buf.extend_from_slice(b"{.= ");
+					} else {
+						buf.extend_from_slice(b"{ ");
+						buf.extend_from_slice(k.borrow());
+						buf.extend_from_slice(b" = ");
+					}
                     v.encode_aux(buf, indent + 2, false);
                     buf.extend_from_slice(b" }");
                 } else {
@@ -357,7 +361,7 @@ mod tests {
             ])
             .unwrap()
             .encode(),
-            b"a b { . = c d }"
+            b"a b {.= c d }"
         );
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/serde/mod.rs b/src/serde/mod.rs
index 9d139e4..2b80470 100644
--- a/src/serde/mod.rs
+++ b/src/serde/mod.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,25 @@ mod tests {
     seq = YQ Yg,
   }"#;
         test_bidir(input, expected);
+
+        let input = vec![
+			Test {
+				int: 1,
+				seq: vec!["a".to_string(), "b".to_string()],
+			},
+			Test {
+				int: 2,
+				seq: vec!["c".to_string(), "d".to_string()],
+			},
+		];
+        let expected = br#"{.= Test {
+        int = 1,
+        seq = YQ Yg,
+      } } {.= Test {
+        int = 2,
+        seq = Yw ZA,
+      } }"#;
+        test_bidir(input, expected);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -75,7 +94,7 @@ mod tests {
             E::Struct { a: 1 },
             E::Tuple(3, 2),
         ];
-        let expected = br#"E.Unit E.Unit { . = E.Newtype 1 } { . = E.Tuple 1 2 } { . = E.Struct { a = 1 } } { . = 
+        let expected = br#"E.Unit E.Unit {.= E.Newtype 1 } {.= E.Tuple 1 2 } {.= E.Struct { a = 1 } } {.= 
       E.Tuple 3 2 }"#;
         test_bidir(input, expected);
     }
@@ -90,7 +109,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_seq2() {
         let input = (1, 2, (2, 3, 4), 5, 6);
-        let expected = br#"1 2 { . = 2 3 4 } 5 6"#;
+        let expected = br#"1 2 {.= 2 3 4 } 5 6"#;
         test_bidir(input, expected);
     }
 
@@ -104,7 +123,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_seq4() {
         let input = [[1, 2], [2, 3], [3, 4]];
-        let expected = br#"{ . = 1 2 } { . = 2 3 } { . = 3 4 }"#;
+        let expected = br#"{.= 1 2 } {.= 2 3 } {.= 3 4 }"#;
         test_bidir(input, expected);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/serde/ser.rs b/src/serde/ser.rs
index 2d2e1b7..e26aabf 100644
--- a/src/serde/ser.rs
+++ b/src/serde/ser.rs
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(&to_bytes(&u).unwrap(), expected);
 
         let n = (1, 2, (2, 3, 4), 5, 6);
-        let expected = br#"1 2 { . = 2 3 4 } 5 6"#;
+        let expected = br#"1 2 {.= 2 3 4 } 5 6"#;
         assert_eq!(&to_bytes(&n).unwrap(), expected);
 
         let t = [1, 2, 3, 4];
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(&to_bytes(&t).unwrap(), expected);
 
         let s = [[1, 2], [2, 3], [3, 4]];
-        let expected = br#"{ . = 1 2 } { . = 2 3 } { . = 3 4 }"#;
+        let expected = br#"{.= 1 2 } {.= 2 3 } {.= 3 4 }"#;
         assert_eq!(&to_bytes(&s).unwrap(), expected);
     }