diff --git a/integration-test/test/test_zero_empty_asset.py b/integration-test/test/test_zero_empty_asset.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..71ca83c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration-test/test/test_zero_empty_asset.py
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+import pathlib
+import tempfile
+
+import pytest
+from retry import retry
+
+from pycardano import *
+
+from .base import TEST_RETRIES, TestBase
+
+
+class TestZeroEmptyAsset(TestBase):
+    @retry(tries=TEST_RETRIES, backoff=1.5, delay=6, jitter=(0, 4))
+    @pytest.mark.post_chang
+    def test_submit_zero_and_empty(self):
+        address = Address(self.payment_vkey.hash(), network=self.NETWORK)
+
+        # Load payment keys or create them if they don't exist
+        def load_or_create_key_pair(base_dir, base_name):
+            skey_path = base_dir / f"{base_name}.skey"
+            vkey_path = base_dir / f"{base_name}.vkey"
+
+            if skey_path.exists():
+                skey = PaymentSigningKey.load(str(skey_path))
+                vkey = PaymentVerificationKey.from_signing_key(skey)
+            else:
+                key_pair = PaymentKeyPair.generate()
+                key_pair.signing_key.save(str(skey_path))
+                key_pair.verification_key.save(str(vkey_path))
+                skey = key_pair.signing_key
+                vkey = key_pair.verification_key
+            return skey, vkey
+
+        tempdir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        PROJECT_ROOT = tempdir.name
+
+        root = pathlib.Path(PROJECT_ROOT)
+        # Create the directory if it doesn't exist
+        root.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        """Generate keys"""
+        key_dir = root / "keys"
+        key_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+
+        # Generate policy keys, which will be used when minting NFT
+        policy_skey, policy_vkey = load_or_create_key_pair(key_dir, "policy")
+
+        """Create policy"""
+        # A policy that requires a signature from the policy key we generated above
+        pub_key_policy_1 = ScriptPubkey(policy_vkey.hash())
+
+        # A policy that requires a signature from the extended payment key
+        pub_key_policy_2 = ScriptPubkey(self.extended_payment_vkey.hash())
+
+        # Combine two policies using ScriptAll policy
+        policy = ScriptAll([pub_key_policy_1, pub_key_policy_2])
+
+        # Calculate policy ID, which is the hash of the policy
+        policy_id = policy.hash()
+
+        """Define NFT"""
+        my_nft = MultiAsset.from_primitive(
+            {
+                policy_id.payload: {
+                    b"MY_NFT_1": 1,  # Name of our NFT1  # Quantity of this NFT
+                    b"MY_NFT_2": 1,  # Name of our NFT2  # Quantity of this NFT
+                }
+            }
+        )
+
+        native_scripts = [policy]
+
+        """Create metadata"""
+        # We need to create a metadata for our NFTs, so they could be displayed correctly by blockchain explorer
+        metadata = {
+            721: {  # 721 refers to the metadata label registered for NFT standard here:
+                # https://github.com/cardano-foundation/CIPs/blob/master/CIP-0010/registry.json#L14-L17
+                policy_id.payload.hex(): {
+                    "MY_NFT_1": {
+                        "description": "This is my first NFT thanks to PyCardano",
+                        "name": "PyCardano NFT example token 1",
+                        "id": 1,
+                        "image": "ipfs://QmRhTTbUrPYEw3mJGGhQqQST9k86v1DPBiTTWJGKDJsVFw",
+                    },
+                    "MY_NFT_2": {
+                        "description": "This is my second NFT thanks to PyCardano",
+                        "name": "PyCardano NFT example token 2",
+                        "id": 2,
+                        "image": "ipfs://QmRhTTbUrPYEw3mJGGhQqQST9k86v1DPBiTTWJGKDJsVFw",
+                    },
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        # Place metadata in AuxiliaryData, the format acceptable by a transaction.
+        auxiliary_data = AuxiliaryData(AlonzoMetadata(metadata=Metadata(metadata)))
+
+        """Build mint transaction"""
+
+        # Create a transaction builder
+        builder = TransactionBuilder(self.chain_context)
+
+        # Add our own address as the input address
+        builder.add_input_address(address)
+
+        # Set nft we want to mint
+        builder.mint = my_nft
+
+        # Set native script
+        builder.native_scripts = native_scripts
+
+        # Set transaction metadata
+        builder.auxiliary_data = auxiliary_data
+
+        # Calculate the minimum amount of lovelace that need to hold the NFT we are going to mint
+        min_val = min_lovelace_pre_alonzo(Value(0, my_nft), self.chain_context)
+
+        # Send the NFT to our own address
+        nft_output = TransactionOutput(address, Value(min_val, my_nft))
+        builder.add_output(nft_output)
+
+        # Build and sign transaction
+        signed_tx = builder.build_and_sign(
+            [self.payment_skey, self.extended_payment_skey, policy_skey], address
+        )
+
+        print("############### Transaction created ###############")
+        print(signed_tx)
+        print(signed_tx.to_cbor_hex())
+
+        # Submit signed transaction to the network
+        print("############### Submitting transaction ###############")
+        self.chain_context.submit_tx(signed_tx)
+
+        self.assert_output(address, nft_output)
+
+        """Build transaction with 0 nft"""
+
+        # Create a transaction builder
+        builder = TransactionBuilder(self.chain_context)
+
+        # Add our own address as the input address
+        builder.add_input_address(address)
+
+        # Calculate the minimum amount of lovelace that need to hold the NFT we are going to mint
+        min_val = min_lovelace_pre_alonzo(Value(0), self.chain_context)
+
+        # Send the NFT to our own address
+        nft_output = TransactionOutput(
+            address,
+            Value(
+                min_val,
+                MultiAsset.from_primitive(
+                    {policy_vkey.hash().payload: {b"MY_NFT_1": 0}}
+                ),
+            ),
+        )
+        builder.add_output(nft_output)
+
+        # Build and sign transaction
+        signed_tx = builder.build_and_sign(
+            [self.payment_skey, self.extended_payment_skey], address
+        )
+
+        print("############### Transaction created ###############")
+        print(signed_tx)
+        print(signed_tx.to_cbor_hex())
+
+        # Submit signed transaction to the network
+        print("############### Submitting transaction ###############")
+        self.chain_context.submit_tx(signed_tx)
+
+        self.assert_output(address, nft_output)
+
+        """Build transaction with empty multi-asset"""
+
+        # Create a transaction builder
+        builder = TransactionBuilder(self.chain_context)
+
+        # Add our own address as the input address
+        builder.add_input_address(address)
+
+        # Calculate the minimum amount of lovelace that need to hold the NFT we are going to mint
+        min_val = min_lovelace_pre_alonzo(Value(0), self.chain_context)
+
+        # Send the NFT to our own address
+        nft_output = TransactionOutput(
+            address,
+            Value(min_val, MultiAsset.from_primitive({policy_vkey.hash().payload: {}})),
+        )
+        builder.add_output(nft_output)
+
+        # Build and sign transaction
+        signed_tx = builder.build_and_sign(
+            [self.payment_skey, self.extended_payment_skey], address
+        )
+
+        print("############### Transaction created ###############")
+        print(signed_tx)
+        print(signed_tx.to_cbor_hex())
+
+        # Submit signed transaction to the network
+        print("############### Submitting transaction ###############")
+        self.chain_context.submit_tx(signed_tx)
+
+        self.assert_output(address, nft_output)
diff --git a/pycardano/transaction.py b/pycardano/transaction.py
index 1d10799a..6c060101 100644
--- a/pycardano/transaction.py
+++ b/pycardano/transaction.py
@@ -38,10 +38,12 @@
 from pycardano.serialization import (
     ArrayCBORSerializable,
     CBORSerializable,
+    DictBase,
     DictCBORSerializable,
     MapCBORSerializable,
     Primitive,
     default_encoder,
+    limit_primitive_type,
     list_hook,
 )
 from pycardano.types import typechecked
@@ -87,6 +89,13 @@ class Asset(DictCBORSerializable):
 
     VALUE_TYPE = int
 
+    def normalize(self) -> Asset:
+        """Normalize the Asset by removing zero values."""
+        for k, v in list(self.items()):
+            if v == 0:
+                self.pop(k)
+        return self
+
     def union(self, other: Asset) -> Asset:
         return self + other
 
@@ -94,18 +103,18 @@ def __add__(self, other: Asset) -> Asset:
         new_asset = deepcopy(self)
         for n in other:
             new_asset[n] = new_asset.get(n, 0) + other[n]
-        return new_asset
+        return new_asset.normalize()
 
     def __iadd__(self, other: Asset) -> Asset:
         new_item = self + other
         self.update(new_item)
-        return self
+        return self.normalize()
 
     def __sub__(self, other: Asset) -> Asset:
         new_asset = deepcopy(self)
         for n in other:
             new_asset[n] = new_asset.get(n, 0) - other[n]
-        return new_asset
+        return new_asset.normalize()
 
     def __eq__(self, other):
         if not isinstance(other, Asset):
@@ -124,6 +133,20 @@ def __le__(self, other: Asset) -> bool:
                 return False
         return True
 
+    @classmethod
+    @limit_primitive_type(dict)
+    def from_primitive(cls: Type[DictBase], value: dict) -> DictBase:
+        res = super().from_primitive(value)
+        # pop zero values
+        for n, v in list(res.items()):
+            if v == 0:
+                res.pop(n)
+        return res
+
+    def to_shallow_primitive(self) -> dict:
+        x = deepcopy(self).normalize()
+        return super(self.__class__, x).to_shallow_primitive()
+
 
 @typechecked
 class MultiAsset(DictCBORSerializable):
@@ -134,22 +157,30 @@ class MultiAsset(DictCBORSerializable):
     def union(self, other: MultiAsset) -> MultiAsset:
         return self + other
 
+    def normalize(self) -> MultiAsset:
+        """Normalize the MultiAsset by removing zero values."""
+        for k, v in list(self.items()):
+            v.normalize()
+            if len(v) == 0:
+                self.pop(k)
+        return self
+
     def __add__(self, other):
         new_multi_asset = deepcopy(self)
         for p in other:
             new_multi_asset[p] = new_multi_asset.get(p, Asset()) + other[p]
-        return new_multi_asset
+        return new_multi_asset.normalize()
 
     def __iadd__(self, other):
         new_item = self + other
         self.update(new_item)
-        return self
+        return self.normalize()
 
     def __sub__(self, other: MultiAsset) -> MultiAsset:
         new_multi_asset = deepcopy(self)
         for p in other:
             new_multi_asset[p] = new_multi_asset.get(p, Asset()) - other[p]
-        return new_multi_asset
+        return new_multi_asset.normalize()
 
     def __eq__(self, other):
         if not isinstance(other, MultiAsset):
@@ -209,6 +240,20 @@ def count(self, criteria=Callable[[ScriptHash, AssetName, int], bool]) -> int:
 
         return count
 
+    @classmethod
+    @limit_primitive_type(dict)
+    def from_primitive(cls: Type[DictBase], value: dict) -> DictBase:
+        res = super().from_primitive(value)
+        # pop empty values
+        for n, v in list(res.items()):
+            if not v:
+                res.pop(n)
+        return res
+
+    def to_shallow_primitive(self) -> dict:
+        x = deepcopy(self).normalize()
+        return super(self.__class__, x).to_shallow_primitive()
+
 
 @typechecked
 @dataclass(repr=False)
diff --git a/pycardano/txbuilder.py b/pycardano/txbuilder.py
index 7ff0be3d..256d9962 100644
--- a/pycardano/txbuilder.py
+++ b/pycardano/txbuilder.py
@@ -928,12 +928,16 @@ def _build_tx_body(self) -> TransactionBody:
         )
         return tx_body
 
-    def _build_fake_vkey_witnesses(self) -> List[VerificationKeyWitness]:
+    def _build_required_vkeys(self) -> Set[VerificationKeyHash]:
         vkey_hashes = self._input_vkey_hashes()
         vkey_hashes.update(self._required_signer_vkey_hashes())
         vkey_hashes.update(self._native_scripts_vkey_hashes())
         vkey_hashes.update(self._certificate_vkey_hashes())
         vkey_hashes.update(self._withdrawal_vkey_hashes())
+        return vkey_hashes
+
+    def _build_fake_vkey_witnesses(self) -> List[VerificationKeyWitness]:
+        vkey_hashes = self._build_required_vkeys()
 
         witness_count = self.witness_override or len(vkey_hashes)
 
@@ -1441,6 +1445,7 @@ def build_and_sign(
         auto_validity_start_offset: Optional[int] = None,
         auto_ttl_offset: Optional[int] = None,
         auto_required_signers: Optional[bool] = None,
+        force_skeys: Optional[bool] = False,
     ) -> Transaction:
         """Build a transaction body from all constraints set through the builder and sign the transaction with
         provided signing keys.
@@ -1462,6 +1467,10 @@ def build_and_sign(
             auto_required_signers (Optional[bool]): Automatically add all pubkeyhashes of transaction inputs
                 and the given signers to required signatories (default only for Smart Contract transactions).
                 Manually set required signers will always take precedence.
+            force_skeys (Optional[bool]): Whether to force the use of signing keys for signing the transaction.
+                Default is False, which means that provided signing keys will only be used to sign the transaction if
+                they are actually required by the transaction. This is useful to reduce tx fees by not including
+                unnecessary signatures. If set to True, all provided signing keys will be used to sign the transaction.
 
         Returns:
             Transaction: A signed transaction.
@@ -1483,7 +1492,15 @@ def build_and_sign(
         witness_set = self.build_witness_set(True)
         witness_set.vkey_witnesses = []
 
+        required_vkeys = self._build_required_vkeys()
+
         for signing_key in set(signing_keys):
+            vkey_hash = signing_key.to_verification_key().hash()
+            if not force_skeys and vkey_hash not in required_vkeys:
+                logger.warn(
+                    f"Verification key hash {vkey_hash} is not required for this tx."
+                )
+                continue
             signature = signing_key.sign(tx_body.hash())
             witness_set.vkey_witnesses.append(
                 VerificationKeyWitness(signing_key.to_verification_key(), signature)
diff --git a/pycardano/utils.py b/pycardano/utils.py
index bac81a74..17a400ff 100644
--- a/pycardano/utils.py
+++ b/pycardano/utils.py
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ def min_lovelace_pre_alonzo(
         int: Minimum required lovelace amount for this transaction output.
     """
     if amount is None or isinstance(amount, int) or not amount.multi_asset:
-        return context.protocol_param.min_utxo
+        return context.protocol_param.min_utxo or 1_000_000
 
     b_size = bundle_size(amount.multi_asset)
     utxo_entry_size = 27
diff --git a/test/pycardano/test_transaction.py b/test/pycardano/test_transaction.py
index e7cc0c33..5ec6f51e 100644
--- a/test/pycardano/test_transaction.py
+++ b/test/pycardano/test_transaction.py
@@ -482,3 +482,94 @@ def test_out_of_bound_asset():
     # Not okay only when minting
     with pytest.raises(InvalidDataException):
         tx.to_cbor_hex()
+
+
+def test_zero_value():
+    nft_output = Value(
+        10000000,
+        MultiAsset.from_primitive(
+            {
+                bytes.fromhex(
+                    "a39a5998f2822dfc9111e447038c3cfffa883ed1b9e357be9cd60dfe"
+                ): {b"MY_NFT_1": 0}
+            }
+        ),
+    )
+    assert len(nft_output.multi_asset) == 0
+
+
+def test_empty_multiasset():
+    nft_output = Value(
+        10000000,
+        MultiAsset.from_primitive(
+            {
+                bytes.fromhex(
+                    "a39a5998f2822dfc9111e447038c3cfffa883ed1b9e357be9cd60dfe"
+                ): {}
+            }
+        ),
+    )
+    assert len(nft_output.multi_asset) == 0
+
+
+def test_add_empty():
+    nft_output = Value(
+        10000000,
+        MultiAsset.from_primitive(
+            {
+                bytes.fromhex(
+                    "a39a5998f2822dfc9111e447038c3cfffa883ed1b9e357be9cd60dfe"
+                ): {b"MY_NFT_1": 100}
+            }
+        ),
+    ) - Value(
+        5,
+        MultiAsset.from_primitive(
+            {
+                bytes.fromhex(
+                    "a39a5998f2822dfc9111e447038c3cfffa883ed1b9e357be9cd60dfe"
+                ): {b"MY_NFT_1": 100}
+            }
+        ),
+    )
+    assert len(nft_output.multi_asset) == 0
+
+
+def test_zero_value_pop():
+    policy = bytes.fromhex("a39a5998f2822dfc9111e447038c3cfffa883ed1b9e357be9cd60dfe")
+    nft_output = Value(
+        10000000,
+        MultiAsset.from_primitive({policy: {b"MY_NFT_1": 0, b"MY_NFT_2": 1}}),
+    )
+    assert len(nft_output.multi_asset) == 1
+    assert len(nft_output.multi_asset[ScriptHash(policy)]) == 1
+
+
+def test_empty_multiasset_pop():
+    nft_output = Value(
+        10000000,
+        MultiAsset.from_primitive(
+            {
+                bytes.fromhex(
+                    "a39a5998f2822dfc9111e447038c3cfffa883ed1b9e357be9cd60dfe"
+                ): {},
+                bytes.fromhex(
+                    "b39a5998f2822dfc9111e447038c3cfffa883ed1b9e357be9cd60dfe"
+                ): {b"MY_NFT_1": 1},
+            }
+        ),
+    )
+    assert len(nft_output.multi_asset) == 1
+
+
+def test_add_empty_pop():
+    policy = bytes.fromhex("a39a5998f2822dfc9111e447038c3cfffa883ed1b9e357be9cd60dfe")
+    nft_output = Value(
+        10000000,
+        MultiAsset.from_primitive({policy: {b"MY_NFT_1": 100, b"MY_NFT_2": 100}}),
+    ) - Value(
+        5,
+        MultiAsset.from_primitive({policy: {b"MY_NFT_1": 100}}),
+    )
+    assert len(nft_output.multi_asset) == 1
+    assert len(nft_output.multi_asset[ScriptHash(policy)]) == 1
diff --git a/test/pycardano/test_txbuilder.py b/test/pycardano/test_txbuilder.py
index 31b8b7df..027acc99 100644
--- a/test/pycardano/test_txbuilder.py
+++ b/test/pycardano/test_txbuilder.py
@@ -1202,6 +1202,7 @@ def test_build_and_sign(chain_context):
     tx = tx_builder2.build_and_sign(
         [SK],
         change_address=sender_address,
+        force_skeys=True,
     )
 
     assert tx.transaction_witness_set.vkey_witnesses == [
diff --git a/test/pycardano/test_util.py b/test/pycardano/test_util.py
index 444546af..17b4f647 100644
--- a/test/pycardano/test_util.py
+++ b/test/pycardano/test_util.py
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ def test_min_lovelace_multi_asset_6(self, chain_context):
                 {
                     b"1"
                     * SCRIPT_HASH_SIZE: {
-                        i.to_bytes(1, byteorder="big"): 1000000 * i for i in range(32)
+                        i.to_bytes(1, byteorder="big"): 1000000 * i
+                        for i in range(1, 33)
                     },
                     b"2"
                     * SCRIPT_HASH_SIZE: {