diff --git a/PortableInfobox.setup.php b/PortableInfobox.setup.php
index 3fab3cd..e37b187 100644
--- a/PortableInfobox.setup.php
+++ b/PortableInfobox.setup.php
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ foreach ( $wgInfoboxParserNodes as $parserNode ) {
 
 // helpers
 $wgAutoloadClasses[ 'Wikia\PortableInfobox\Helpers\ImageFilenameSanitizer' ] = $dir . 'services/Helpers/ImageFilenameSanitizer.php';
+$wgAutoloadClasses[ 'Wikia\PortableInfobox\Helpers\SimpleXmlUtil' ] = $dir . 'services/Helpers/SimpleXmlUtil.php';
 
 // controller classes
 $wgAutoloadClasses[ 'PortableInfoboxParserTagController' ] = $dir . 'controllers/PortableInfoboxParserTagController.class.php';
diff --git a/services/Helpers/SimpleXmlUtil.php b/services/Helpers/SimpleXmlUtil.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7e4170
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/Helpers/SimpleXmlUtil.php
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Wikia\PortableInfobox\Helpers;
+
+class SimpleXmlUtil {
+	private static $instance = null;
+
+	private function __construct() {
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return null|SimpleXmlUtil
+	 */
+	public static function getInstance() {
+		if ( is_null( self::$instance ) ) {
+			self::$instance = new self;
+		}
+		return self::$instance;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets contents of SimpleXML node as XML string
+	 * Will return empty string for a non-node argument
+	 *
+	 * @param $node
+	 * @return string
+	 */
+	public function getInnerXML( $node ) {
+		$innerXML = '';
+		if ( $node instanceof \SimpleXMLElement ) {
+			foreach ( dom_import_simplexml( $node )->childNodes as $child ) {
+				$innerXML .= $child->ownerDocument->saveXML( $child );
+			}
+		}
+		return $innerXML;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/services/Parser/Nodes/Node.php b/services/Parser/Nodes/Node.php
index 5b8565d..03a4141 100644
--- a/services/Parser/Nodes/Node.php
+++ b/services/Parser/Nodes/Node.php
@@ -46,16 +46,10 @@ class Node {
 		return [ 'value' => (string)$this->xmlNode ];
 	}
 
+	//note that a '0' value cannot be treated like a null
 	public function isEmpty( $data ) {
-		return !( isset( $data[ 'value' ] ) ) || empty( $data[ 'value' ] );
-	}
-
-	protected function getInnerXML( \SimpleXMLElement $node ) {
-		$innerXML= '';
-		foreach ( dom_import_simplexml( $node )->childNodes as $child ) {
-			$innerXML .= $child->ownerDocument->saveXML( $child );
-		}
-		return $innerXML;
+		$value = $data[ 'value' ];
+		return !( isset( $value ) ) || (empty( $value ) && $value != '0');
 	}
 
 	protected function getValueWithDefault( \SimpleXMLElement $xmlNode ) {
@@ -71,7 +65,9 @@ class Node {
 				 * We should not parse it's contents as XML but return pure text in order to let MediaWiki Parser
 				 * parse it.
 				 */
-				$value = $this->getInnerXML( $xmlNode->{self::DEFAULT_TAG_NAME} );
+				$value = \Wikia\PortableInfobox\Helpers\SimpleXmlUtil::getInstance()->getInnerXML(
+					$xmlNode->{self::DEFAULT_TAG_NAME}
+				);
 				$value = $this->getExternalParser()->parseRecursive( $value );
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeData.php b/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeData.php
index 0f0d266..a529f48 100644
--- a/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeData.php
+++ b/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeData.php
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@ class NodeData extends Node {
 
 	public function getData() {
 		return [
-			'label' => $this->getExternalParser()->parseRecursive( $this->getInnerXML( $this->xmlNode->{self::LABEL_TAG_NAME} ) ),
+			'label' => $this->getExternalParser()->parseRecursive(
+				\Wikia\PortableInfobox\Helpers\SimpleXmlUtil::getInstance()->getInnerXML(
+					$this->xmlNode->{self::LABEL_TAG_NAME}
+				)
+			),
 			'value' => $this->getValueWithDefault( $this->xmlNode )
 		];
 	}
diff --git a/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeFooter.php b/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeFooter.php
index 7f1b6c1..f3332dd 100644
--- a/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeFooter.php
+++ b/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeFooter.php
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@ namespace Wikia\PortableInfobox\Parser\Nodes;
 class NodeFooter extends Node {
 
 	public function getData() {
-		return [ 'value' => $this->getExternalParser()->parseRecursive( $this->getInnerXML( $this->xmlNode ) ) ];
+		return [ 'value' => $this->getExternalParser()->parseRecursive(
+			\Wikia\PortableInfobox\Helpers\SimpleXmlUtil::getInstance()->getInnerXML( $this->xmlNode )
+		) ];
 	}
 
 	public function isEmpty( $data ) {
-		$links = trim( $data[ 'value' ] );
+		$links = trim( $data['value'] );
 		return empty( $links );
 	}
 }
diff --git a/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeHeader.php b/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeHeader.php
index 991daf3..50713c6 100644
--- a/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeHeader.php
+++ b/services/Parser/Nodes/NodeHeader.php
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ namespace Wikia\PortableInfobox\Parser\Nodes;
 class NodeHeader extends Node {
 
 	public function getData() {
-		return [ 'value' => $this->getExternalParser()->parseRecursive( $this->getInnerXML( $this->xmlNode ) ) ];
+		return [ 'value' => $this->getExternalParser()->parseRecursive(
+			\Wikia\PortableInfobox\Helpers\SimpleXmlUtil::getInstance()->getInnerXML( $this->xmlNode )
+		) ];
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/NodeTest.php b/tests/NodeTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1c4f35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/NodeTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+<?php
+
+class NodeTest extends WikiaBaseTest {
+
+	protected function setUp() {
+		$this->setupFile = dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/../PortableInfobox.setup.php';
+		parent::setUp();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @dataProvider testIsEmptyDataProvider
+	 */
+	public function testIsEmpty( $season, $expectedOutput ) {
+		$string = '<data source="season"><label>Season</label></data>';
+		$xml = simplexml_load_string( $string );
+
+		$node = new Wikia\PortableInfobox\Parser\Nodes\NodeData( $xml, [ 'season' => $season ] );
+		$nodeData = $node->getData();
+		$this->assertTrue( $node->isEmpty( $nodeData ) == $expectedOutput );
+	}
+
+	public function testIsEmptyDataProvider() {
+		return [
+			[
+				'season' => '0',
+				'expectedOutput' => false
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => '1',
+				'expectedOutput' => false
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => 'one',
+				'expectedOutput' => false
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => 'null',
+				'expectedOutput' => false
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => 'false',
+				'expectedOutput' => false
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => '  ',
+				'expectedOutput' => false
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => null,
+				'expectedOutput' => true
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => [],
+				'expectedOutput' => true
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => '',
+				'expectedOutput' => true
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => 5,
+				'expectedOutput' => false
+			],
+			[
+				'season' => 0,
+				'expectedOutput' => false
+			]
+		];
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/ParserNodesTest.php b/tests/ParserNodesTest.php
index 2f8ba65..72ede5b 100644
--- a/tests/ParserNodesTest.php
+++ b/tests/ParserNodesTest.php
@@ -41,22 +41,6 @@ class PortableInfoboxParserNodesTest extends WikiaBaseTest {
 		$this->assertTrue( $nodeDefault->getData()[ 'alt' ] == 'default-alt', 'default alt' );
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @dataProvider testNodeImageVariableReplaceProvider
-	 * @todo rethink this test cause after changes to NodeImage it doesn't make sense in this form
-	 */
-//	public function testNodeImageVariableReplace( $xmlString, $data, $expValue ) {
-//		$xml = simplexml_load_string($xmlString);
-//		$node = $this->getMockBuilder( 'Wikia\PortableInfobox\Parser\Nodes\NodeImage' )
-//			->setConstructorArgs( [ $xml, $data ] )
-//			->setMethods( [ 'resolveImageUrl' ] )
-//			->getMock();
-//		$node->expects( $this->any() )->method( 'resolveImageUrl' )->with( $this->equalTo( $expValue ) );
-//		$externalParser = new \Wikia\PortableInfobox\Parser\DummyParser();
-//		$node->setExternalParser( $externalParser );
-//		$node->getData();
-//	}
-
 	public function testNodeHeader() {
 		$string = '<header>Comandantes</header>';
 		$xml = simplexml_load_string( $string );
@@ -116,40 +100,4 @@ class PortableInfoboxParserNodesTest extends WikiaBaseTest {
 		$this->assertTrue( $data[ 'value' ][ 0 ]['data']['value'][ 1 ][ 'type' ] == 'data' );
 		$this->assertTrue( $data[ 'value' ][ 0 ]['data']['value'][ 2 ][ 'data' ][ 'value' ] == 2 );
 	}
-
-	public function testNodeImageVariableReplaceProvider() {
-		return [
-			[
-				'<image source="image2"><alt source="alt-source"><default>default-alt</default></alt></image>',
-				[
-					'image2' => 'Wiki-image'
-				],
-				'Wiki-image',
-				'Regular filename should be untouched'
-			],
-			[
-				'<image source="image2"><alt source="alt-source"><default>default-alt</default></alt></image>',
-				[
-					'image2' => '[[Wiki-image]]'
-				],
-				'[[Wiki-image]]',
-				'Link to filename should be untouched'
-			],
-			[
-			'<image source="image2"><alt source="alt-source"><default>default-alt</default></alt></image>',
-				[
-					'image2' => '[[File:Wiki-image]]'
-				],
-				'[[File:Wiki-image]]',
-				'File invocation in params should be untouched'
-			],
-			[
-				'<image source="image2"><default>[[File:Wiki-image]]</default><alt source="alt-source"><default>default-alt</default></alt></image>',
-				[ ],
-				'replaceVariables([[File:Wiki-image]])',
-				'File invocation in default should invoke replace variables'
-			],
-
-		];
-	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/SimpleXmlUtilTest.php b/tests/SimpleXmlUtilTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1990fea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/SimpleXmlUtilTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+<?php
+
+class SimpleXmlUtilTest extends WikiaBaseTest {
+	private $simpleXmlUtil;
+
+	protected function setUp() {
+		$this->setupFile = dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/../PortableInfobox.setup.php';
+		parent::setUp();
+
+		$this->simpleXmlUtil = \Wikia\PortableInfobox\Helpers\SimpleXmlUtil::getInstance();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @dataProvider testGetInnerXMLDataProvider
+	 */
+	public function testGetInnerXML( $xmlString, $expValue, $message ) {
+		$xml	 = simplexml_load_string( $xmlString );
+		$this->assertEquals( $expValue, $this->simpleXmlUtil->getInnerXML( $xml ), $message );
+	}
+
+	public function testGetInnerXMLDataProvider() {
+		return [
+			[
+				'<data source="name"><default><gallery orientation="mosaic">TestFile.png</gallery></default></data>',
+				'<default><gallery orientation="mosaic">TestFile.png</gallery></default>',
+				'Valid gallery tag in default'
+			],
+			[
+				'<data source="name"><default>Test <ref name="multiple" /></default></data>',
+				'<default>Test <ref name="multiple"/></default>',
+				'Text + XML'
+			],
+			[
+				'<data source="name"><default><ref name="multiple" /></default></data>',
+				'<default><ref name="multiple"/></default>',
+				'Valid self-closing tag'
+
+			],
+			[
+				'<data source="name"><default><ref name="multiple" ></default></data>',
+				'',
+				'Invalid inner XML'
+			],
+			[
+				'<data source="name"><default></data>',
+				'',
+				'Invalid inner XML'
+			],
+			[
+				'<data source="name" />',
+				'',
+				'No inner XML'
+			]
+		];
+	}
+}