diff --git a/lib/carto/renderer.js b/lib/carto/renderer.js
index d3b7d62..7c805c1 100644
--- a/lib/carto/renderer.js
+++ b/lib/carto/renderer.js
@@ -137,9 +137,8 @@ carto.Renderer.prototype.render = function render(m, callback) {
                 styles.push(style_name);
             }
         }
-        if (styles.length) {
-            output.push(carto.tree.LayerXML(l, styles));
-        }
+
+        output.push(carto.tree.LayerXML(l, styles));
     }
 
     output.unshift(env.effects.map(function(e) {
diff --git a/test/rendering/background_attributes.mml b/test/rendering/background_attributes.mml
index 879c770..f375514 100644
--- a/test/rendering/background_attributes.mml
+++ b/test/rendering/background_attributes.mml
@@ -3,12 +3,5 @@
     "Stylesheet": [
         "background_attributes.mss"
     ],
-    "Layer": [{
-        "name": "world",
-        "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
-        "Datasource": {
-            "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
-            "type": "shape"
-        }
-    }]
+    "Layer": []
 }
diff --git a/test/rendering/buffersize.mml b/test/rendering/buffersize.mml
index 8d779b3..8c1d4c6 100644
--- a/test/rendering/buffersize.mml
+++ b/test/rendering/buffersize.mml
@@ -10,14 +10,5 @@
             "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
             "type": "shape"
         }
-    },
-    {
-        "class": "new",
-        "name": "countries",
-        "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
-        "Datasource": {
-            "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
-            "type": "shape"
-        }
     }]
 }
diff --git a/test/rendering/building_height.mml b/test/rendering/building_height.mml
index 79ba517..3bdf048 100644
--- a/test/rendering/building_height.mml
+++ b/test/rendering/building_height.mml
@@ -10,14 +10,5 @@
             "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
             "type": "shape"
         }
-    },
-    {
-        "class": "new",
-        "name": "countries",
-        "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
-        "Datasource": {
-            "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
-            "type": "shape"
-        }
     }]
 }
diff --git a/test/rendering/data_only.mml b/test/rendering/data_only.mml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9a4879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rendering/data_only.mml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+    "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
+    "Stylesheet": [],
+    "Layer": [{
+        "name": "world",
+        "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
+        "Datasource": {
+            "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
+            "type": "shape"
+        }
+    }]
+}
diff --git a/test/rendering/data_only.result b/test/rendering/data_only.result
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06fc4fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rendering/data_only.result
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE Map[]>
+<Map srs="+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over" maximum-extent="-20037508.34,-20037508.34,20037508.34,20037508.34">
+
+
+<Layer name="world"
+  srs="+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over">
+    <Datasource>
+       <Parameter name="file"><![CDATA[[absolute path]]]></Parameter>
+       <Parameter name="type"><![CDATA[shape]]></Parameter>
+    </Datasource>
+  </Layer>
+
+</Map>
diff --git a/test/rendering/field.mml b/test/rendering/field.mml
index 94629dc..0864703 100644
--- a/test/rendering/field.mml
+++ b/test/rendering/field.mml
@@ -10,14 +10,5 @@
             "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
             "type": "shape"
         }
-    },
-    {
-        "class": "new",
-        "name": "countries",
-        "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
-        "Datasource": {
-            "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
-            "type": "shape"
-        }
     }]
 }
diff --git a/test/rendering/field_advanced.mml b/test/rendering/field_advanced.mml
index 12153a4..330992a 100644
--- a/test/rendering/field_advanced.mml
+++ b/test/rendering/field_advanced.mml
@@ -10,14 +10,5 @@
             "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
             "type": "shape"
         }
-    },
-    {
-        "class": "new",
-        "name": "countries",
-        "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
-        "Datasource": {
-            "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
-            "type": "shape"
-        }
     }]
 }
diff --git a/test/rendering/modulus.mml b/test/rendering/modulus.mml
index e46eb87..6421796 100644
--- a/test/rendering/modulus.mml
+++ b/test/rendering/modulus.mml
@@ -10,14 +10,5 @@
             "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
             "type": "shape"
         }
-    },
-    {
-        "class": "new",
-        "name": "countries",
-        "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
-        "Datasource": {
-            "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
-            "type": "shape"
-        }
     }]
 }
diff --git a/test/rendering/parameters.mml b/test/rendering/parameters.mml
index 15ade3c..41399f6 100644
--- a/test/rendering/parameters.mml
+++ b/test/rendering/parameters.mml
@@ -17,12 +17,5 @@
     },
     "omitted": "Omitted property.",
     "Stylesheet": [],
-    "Layer": [{
-        "name": "world",
-        "srs": "+proj=merc +a=6378137 +b=6378137 +lat_ts=0.0 +lon_0=0.0 +x_0=0.0 +y_0=0.0 +k=1.0 +units=m +nadgrids=@null +wktext +no_defs +over",
-        "Datasource": {
-            "file": "http://tilemill-data.s3.amazonaws.com/test_data/shape_demo.zip",
-            "type": "shape"
-        }
-    }]
+    "Layer": []
 }