diff --git a/src/ipc.c b/src/ipc.c
index 08bdde33..100e1f70 100644
--- a/src/ipc.c
+++ b/src/ipc.c
@@ -410,17 +410,13 @@ void dump_node(yajl_gen gen, struct Con *con, bool inplace_restart) {
     ystr("urgent");
     y(bool, con->urgent);
 
-    if (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&(con->marks_head))) {
-        ystr("marks");
-        y(array_open);
-
-        mark_t *mark;
-        TAILQ_FOREACH (mark, &(con->marks_head), marks) {
-            ystr(mark->name);
-        }
-
-        y(array_close);
+    ystr("marks");
+    y(array_open);
+    mark_t *mark;
+    TAILQ_FOREACH (mark, &(con->marks_head), marks) {
+        ystr(mark->name);
     }
+    y(array_close);
 
     ystr("focused");
     y(bool, (con == focused));
diff --git a/testcases/t/116-nestedcons.t b/testcases/t/116-nestedcons.t
index 4f13b1e5..6a2274d4 100644
--- a/testcases/t/116-nestedcons.t
+++ b/testcases/t/116-nestedcons.t
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ my $expected = {
     'floating_nodes' => $ignore,
     workspace_layout => 'default',
     current_border_width => -1,
+    marks => $ignore,
 };
 
 # a shallow copy is sufficient, since we only ignore values at the root
diff --git a/testcases/t/210-mark-unmark.t b/testcases/t/210-mark-unmark.t
index 32f898e6..0d9a073b 100644
--- a/testcases/t/210-mark-unmark.t
+++ b/testcases/t/210-mark-unmark.t
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ cmd 'focus left';
 cmd 'mark important';
 
 is_deeply(get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $first), [ 'important' ], 'first container now has the mark');
-ok(!get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $second), 'second container lost the mark');
+is_deeply(get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $second), [], 'second container lost the mark');
 
 ##############################################################
 # 5: mark a con, toggle the mark, check that the mark is gone
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ ok(!get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $second), 'second container lost the
 $con = open_window;
 cmd 'mark important';
 cmd 'mark --toggle important';
-ok(!get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $con), 'container no longer has the mark');
+is_deeply(get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $con), [], 'container no longer has the mark');
 
 ##############################################################
 # 6: toggle a mark on an unmarked con, check it is marked
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ cmd 'focus left';
 cmd 'mark --toggle important';
 
 is_deeply(get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $first), [ 'important' ], 'left container has the mark now');
-ok(!get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $second), 'second containr no longer has the mark');
+is_deeply(get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $second), [], 'second containr no longer has the mark');
 
 ##############################################################
 # 9: try to mark two cons with the same mark and check that
@@ -154,8 +154,8 @@ my $result = cmd "[instance=iamnotunique] mark important";
 
 is($result->[0]->{success}, 0, 'command was unsuccessful');
 is($result->[0]->{error}, 'A mark must not be put onto more than one window', 'correct error is returned');
-ok(!get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $first), 'first container is not marked');
-ok(!get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $second), 'second containr is not marked');
+is_deeply(get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $first), [], 'first container is not marked');
+is_deeply(get_mark_for_window_on_workspace($tmp, $second), [], 'second containr is not marked');
 
 ##############################################################