diff --git a/ci/expect_scripts/optional.exp b/ci/expect_scripts/optional.exp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28ff8c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/expect_scripts/optional.exp
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/usr/bin/expect
+
+# uncomment line below for debugging
+# exp_internal 1
+
+set timeout 7
+
+spawn ./examples/optional
+
+
+expect "{\"firstName\":\"Luke\",}\r\n{\"firstName\":\"Luke\",\"lastName\":null}\r\n{\"firstName\":\"Luke\",\"lastName\":null}\r\n{\"firstName\":\"Luke\",\"lastName\":\"Boswell\"}" {
+    expect eof
+    exit 0
+}
+
+puts stderr "\nError: output was different from expected value."
+exit 1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/optional.roc b/examples/optional.roc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc0e5f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/optional.roc
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+app [main] {
+    cli: platform "https://github.com/roc-lang/basic-cli/releases/download/0.10.0/vNe6s9hWzoTZtFmNkvEICPErI9ptji_ySjicO6CkucY.tar.br",
+    json: "../package/main.roc", # use release URL (ends in tar.br) for local example, see github.com/lukewilliamboswell/roc-json/releases
+}
+
+import cli.Stdout
+import cli.Task
+import json.Json
+import json.OptionOrNull exposing [OptionOrNull]
+
+Object : { firstName: Str, lastName: OptionOrNull Str }
+
+main =
+    noneObj : Object
+    noneObj = { firstName: "Luke", lastName: OptionOrNull.none {} }
+    nullObj : Object
+    nullObj = { firstName: "Luke", lastName: OptionOrNull.null {} }
+    someObj : Object
+    someObj = { firstName: "Luke", lastName: OptionOrNull.some "Boswell" }
+
+    # noneJson == {"firstName":"Luke",}
+    noneJson = Encode.toBytes noneObj (Json.utf8With { emptyEncodeAsNull: Json.encodeAsNullOption { record: Bool.false } })
+    Stdout.line! (noneJson |> Str.fromUtf8 |> Result.withDefault "Failed to encode JSON")
+
+    # nullNoneJson == {"firstName":"Luke","lastName":null}
+    nullNoneJson = Encode.toBytes noneObj (Json.utf8With { emptyEncodeAsNull: Json.encodeAsNullOption { record: Bool.true } })
+    Stdout.line! (nullNoneJson |> Str.fromUtf8 |> Result.withDefault "Failed to encode JSON")
+
+    # nullJson == {"firstName":"Luke","lastName":null}
+    nullJson = Encode.toBytes nullObj Json.utf8
+    Stdout.line! (nullJson |> Str.fromUtf8 |> Result.withDefault "Failed to encode JSON")
+
+    # someJson == {"firstName":"Luke","lastName":"Boswell"}
+    someJson = Encode.toBytes someObj Json.utf8
+    Stdout.line (someJson |> Str.fromUtf8 |> Result.withDefault "Failed to encode JSON")
+    
+