diff --git a/planet/reconstitute.py b/planet/reconstitute.py
index 1a914ec..29e371d 100644
--- a/planet/reconstitute.py
+++ b/planet/reconstitute.py
@@ -124,7 +124,11 @@ def author(xentry, name, detail):
     xdoc = xentry.ownerDocument
     xauthor = xdoc.createElement(name)
 
-    createTextElement(xauthor, 'name', detail.get('name', None))
+    if detail.get('name', None):
+        createTextElement(xauthor, 'name', detail.get('name'))
+    else:
+        xauthor.appendChild(xdoc.createElement('name'))
+
     createTextElement(xauthor, 'email', detail.get('email', None))
     createTextElement(xauthor, 'uri', detail.get('href', None))
         
diff --git a/tests/data/reconstitute/author_noname.xml b/tests/data/reconstitute/author_noname.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..340ec7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/reconstitute/author_noname.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<!--
+Description:  author name
+Expect:       author_detail.name == ''
+-->
+
+<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
+  <entry>
+    <author>
+      <email>john@example.com</email>
+    </author>
+  </entry>
+</feed>
+