diff --git a/lib/ext/Cite/index.js b/lib/ext/Cite/index.js
index 2bb3b481a..6c6e8726b 100644
--- a/lib/ext/Cite/index.js
+++ b/lib/ext/Cite/index.js
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ References.prototype.toDOM = function(state, content, args) {
 
 		var frag = createReferences(state.manager.env, doc.body, refsOpts, function(dp) {
 			dp.src = state.extToken.getAttribute('source');
+			dp.selfClose = state.extToken.dataAttribs.selfClose;
 		});
 		doc.body.appendChild(frag);
 
@@ -526,10 +527,12 @@ References.prototype.insertReferencesIntoDOM = function(refsNode, refsData, nest
 			dataMw.autoGenerated = true;
 		} else if (nestedRefsHTML.length > 0) {
 			dataMw.body = { 'html': '\n' + nestedRefsHTML.join('') };
-		} else if (dataMw.body === null) {
-			// Is this correct?
+		} else if (!dp.selfClose) {
+			dataMw.body = { 'html': '' };
+		} else {
 			dataMw.body = undefined;
 		}
+		dp.selfClose = undefined;
 	}
 
 	var refGroup = refsData.getRefGroup(group);