diff --git a/_generated/def.go b/_generated/def.go
index 0360729a..a3d97b9e 100644
--- a/_generated/def.go
+++ b/_generated/def.go
@@ -278,3 +278,24 @@ type NonMsgStructTags struct {
 }
 
 type EmptyStruct struct{}
+
+type StructByteSlice struct {
+	ABytes      []byte       `msg:",allownil"`
+	AString     []string     `msg:",allownil"`
+	ABool       []bool       `msg:",allownil"`
+	AInt        []int        `msg:",allownil"`
+	AInt8       []int8       `msg:",allownil"`
+	AInt16      []int16      `msg:",allownil"`
+	AInt32      []int32      `msg:",allownil"`
+	AInt64      []int64      `msg:",allownil"`
+	AUint       []uint       `msg:",allownil"`
+	AUint8      []uint8      `msg:",allownil"`
+	AUint16     []uint16     `msg:",allownil"`
+	AUint32     []uint32     `msg:",allownil"`
+	AUint64     []uint64     `msg:",allownil"`
+	AFloat32    []float32    `msg:",allownil"`
+	AFloat64    []float64    `msg:",allownil"`
+	AComplex64  []complex64  `msg:",allownil"`
+	AComplex128 []complex128 `msg:",allownil"`
+	AStruct     []Fixed      `msg:",allownil"`
+}
diff --git a/_generated/gen_test.go b/_generated/gen_test.go
index 8fa2b7a8..b85eaf64 100644
--- a/_generated/gen_test.go
+++ b/_generated/gen_test.go
@@ -165,3 +165,73 @@ func TestIssue168(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("got back %+v", test)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestIssue362(t *testing.T) {
+	in := StructByteSlice{
+		ABytes:      make([]byte, 0),
+		AString:     make([]string, 0),
+		ABool:       make([]bool, 0),
+		AInt:        make([]int, 0),
+		AInt8:       make([]int8, 0),
+		AInt16:      make([]int16, 0),
+		AInt32:      make([]int32, 0),
+		AInt64:      make([]int64, 0),
+		AUint:       make([]uint, 0),
+		AUint8:      make([]uint8, 0),
+		AUint16:     make([]uint16, 0),
+		AUint32:     make([]uint32, 0),
+		AUint64:     make([]uint64, 0),
+		AFloat32:    make([]float32, 0),
+		AFloat64:    make([]float64, 0),
+		AComplex64:  make([]complex64, 0),
+		AComplex128: make([]complex128, 0),
+		AStruct:     make([]Fixed, 0),
+	}
+
+	b, err := in.MarshalMsg(nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	var dst StructByteSlice
+	_, err = dst.UnmarshalMsg(b)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(in, dst) {
+		t.Fatalf("mismatch %#v != %#v", in, dst)
+	}
+	dst2 := StructByteSlice{}
+	dec := msgp.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(b))
+	err = dst2.DecodeMsg(dec)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(in, dst2) {
+		t.Fatalf("mismatch %#v != %#v", in, dst2)
+	}
+
+	// Encode with nil
+	zero := StructByteSlice{}
+	b, err = zero.MarshalMsg(nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// Decode into dst that now has values...
+	_, err = dst.UnmarshalMsg(b)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// All should be nil now.
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(zero, dst) {
+		t.Fatalf("mismatch %#v != %#v", zero, dst)
+	}
+	dec = msgp.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(b))
+	err = dst2.DecodeMsg(dec)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(zero, dst2) {
+		t.Fatalf("mismatch %#v != %#v", zero, dst2)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/gen/decode.go b/gen/decode.go
index 90e7cf4f..ad21173e 100644
--- a/gen/decode.go
+++ b/gen/decode.go
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ func (d *decodeGen) gBase(b *BaseElem) {
 
 	vname := b.Varname()  // e.g. "z.FieldOne"
 	bname := b.BaseName() // e.g. "Float64"
+	checkNil := vname     // Name of var to check for nil
 
 	// handle special cases
 	// for object type.
@@ -161,8 +162,10 @@ func (d *decodeGen) gBase(b *BaseElem) {
 		if b.Convert {
 			lowered := b.ToBase() + "(" + vname + ")"
 			d.p.printf("\n%s, err = dc.ReadBytes(%s)", tmp, lowered)
+			checkNil = tmp
 		} else {
 			d.p.printf("\n%s, err = dc.ReadBytes(%s)", vname, vname)
+			checkNil = vname
 		}
 	case IDENT:
 		if b.Convert {
@@ -182,6 +185,11 @@ func (d *decodeGen) gBase(b *BaseElem) {
 	}
 	d.p.wrapErrCheck(d.ctx.ArgsStr())
 
+	if checkNil != "" && b.AllowNil() {
+		// Ensure that 0 sized slices are allocated.
+		d.p.printf("\nif %s == nil {\n%s = make([]byte, 0)\n}", checkNil, checkNil)
+	}
+
 	// close block for 'tmp'
 	if b.Convert && b.Value != IDENT {
 		if b.ShimMode == Cast {
diff --git a/gen/elem.go b/gen/elem.go
index d397cbed..3ace7764 100644
--- a/gen/elem.go
+++ b/gen/elem.go
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@ type BaseElem struct {
 	Convert      bool      // should we do an explicit conversion?
 	mustinline   bool      // must inline; not printable
 	needsref     bool      // needs reference for shim
+	allowNil     *bool     // Override from parent.
 }
 
 func (s *BaseElem) Printable() bool { return !s.mustinline }
@@ -568,7 +569,17 @@ func (s *BaseElem) Alias(typ string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *BaseElem) AllowNil() bool { return s.Value == Bytes }
+func (s *BaseElem) AllowNil() bool {
+	if s.allowNil == nil {
+		return s.Value == Bytes
+	}
+	return *s.allowNil
+}
+
+// SetIsAllowNil will override allownil when tag has been parsed.
+func (s *BaseElem) SetIsAllowNil(b bool) {
+	s.allowNil = &b
+}
 
 func (s *BaseElem) SetVarname(a string) {
 	// extensions whose parents
diff --git a/gen/unmarshal.go b/gen/unmarshal.go
index c2ef89bd..75f8a467 100644
--- a/gen/unmarshal.go
+++ b/gen/unmarshal.go
@@ -161,6 +161,11 @@ func (u *unmarshalGen) gBase(b *BaseElem) {
 	}
 	u.p.wrapErrCheck(u.ctx.ArgsStr())
 
+	if b.Value == Bytes && b.AllowNil() {
+		// Ensure that 0 sized slices are allocated.
+		u.p.printf("\nif %s == nil {\n%s = make([]byte, 0)\n}", refname, refname)
+	}
+
 	// close 'tmp' block
 	if b.Convert && b.Value != IDENT {
 		if b.ShimMode == Cast {