diff --git a/src/Jobs.php b/src/Jobs.php
index 1698c8b..b541581 100644
--- a/src/Jobs.php
+++ b/src/Jobs.php
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ private function toStringOfStringMap(array $map): array
                 \is_string($value) => $value,
                 \is_bool($value) => $value ? 'true' : 'false',
                 $value instanceof \JsonSerializable,
-                \is_array($value) => \json_encode($value, \JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR | (empty($value)? \JSON_FORCE_OBJECT : 0)),
+                \is_array($value) => \json_encode($value, \JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR),
                 default => throw new \InvalidArgumentException(
                     \sprintf('Can not cast to string unrecognized value of type %s', \get_debug_type($value)),
                 ),
diff --git a/src/Queue/AMQPCreateInfo.php b/src/Queue/AMQPCreateInfo.php
index e55f2a1..883da0b 100644
--- a/src/Queue/AMQPCreateInfo.php
+++ b/src/Queue/AMQPCreateInfo.php
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ public function toArray(): array
             'requeue_on_fail' => $this->requeueOnFail,
             'durable' => $this->durable,
             'consume_all' => $this->consumeAll,
-            'queue_headers' => $this->queueHeaders,
             'delete_queue_on_stop' => $this->deleteQueueOnStop,
             'redial_timeout' => $this->redialTimeout,
         ]);
@@ -93,6 +92,10 @@ public function toArray(): array
             $result['consumer_id'] = $this->consumerId;
         }
 
+        if ($this->queueHeaders !== []) {
+            $result['queue_headers'] = $this->queueHeaders;
+        }
+
         return $result;
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Queue/AMQPCreateInfoTest.php b/tests/Unit/Queue/AMQPCreateInfoTest.php
index 5e0e338..3e44f35 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Queue/AMQPCreateInfoTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Queue/AMQPCreateInfoTest.php
@@ -133,4 +133,11 @@ public function testToArray(): void
 
         $this->assertEquals($expectedArray, $amqpCreateInfo->toArray());
     }
+
+    public function testToArrayWithEmptyQueueHeaders(): void
+    {
+        $amqpCreateInfo = new AMQPCreateInfo(name: 'foo');
+
+        $this->assertArrayNotHasKey('queue_headers', $amqpCreateInfo->toArray());
+    }
 }