diff --git a/src/FMI2/md.jl b/src/FMI2/md.jl
index 0a4d955..4e303ce 100644
--- a/src/FMI2/md.jl
+++ b/src/FMI2/md.jl
@@ -407,6 +407,8 @@ function parseUnknown(md::fmi2ModelDescription, node::EzXML.Node)
                 if length(dependenciesSplit) > 0
                     varDep.dependencies = collect(parse(UInt, e) for e in dependenciesSplit)
                 end
+            else 
+                varDep.dependencies = UInt[]
             end
         end
 
@@ -419,6 +421,8 @@ function parseUnknown(md::fmi2ModelDescription, node::EzXML.Node)
                         stringToDependencyKind(md, e) for e in dependenciesKindSplit
                     )
                 end
+            else 
+                varDep.dependenciesKind = fmi2DependencyKind[]
             end
         end
 
diff --git a/src/FMI3/md.jl b/src/FMI3/md.jl
index 1f931db..ddaf225 100644
--- a/src/FMI3/md.jl
+++ b/src/FMI3/md.jl
@@ -464,6 +464,8 @@ function parseDependencies(md::fmi3ModelDescription, node::EzXML.Node)
             if length(dependenciesSplit) > 0
                 varDep.dependencies = collect(parse(UInt, e) for e in dependenciesSplit)
             end
+        else 
+            varDep.dependencies = UInt[]
         end
     end
 
@@ -475,6 +477,8 @@ function parseDependencies(md::fmi3ModelDescription, node::EzXML.Node)
                 varDep.dependenciesKind =
                     collect(stringToDependencyKind(md, e) for e in dependenciesKindSplit)
             end
+        else 
+            varDep.dependenciesKind = fmi3DependencyKind[]
         end
     end
 
diff --git a/test/FMI2/model_description.jl b/test/FMI2/model_description.jl
index 4a08a02..7d52c00 100644
--- a/test/FMI2/model_description.jl
+++ b/test/FMI2/model_description.jl
@@ -134,3 +134,17 @@ for sv in myFMU.modelDescription.modelVariables
 end
 
 unloadFMU(myFMU)
+
+myFMU = loadFMU("BouncingBall", "ModelicaReferenceFMUs", "0.0.30", "2.0")
+@test isnothing(myFMU.modelDescription.modelStructure.derivatives[1].dependencies)
+
+info(myFMU) # check if there is an error thrown
+
+unloadFMU(myFMU)
+
+myFMU = loadFMU("Dahlquist", "ModelicaReferenceFMUs", "0.0.30", "2.0")
+@test !isnothing(myFMU.modelDescription.modelStructure.outputs[1].dependencies)
+
+info(myFMU) # check if there is an error thrown
+
+unloadFMU(myFMU)
diff --git a/test/FMI3/model_description.jl b/test/FMI3/model_description.jl
index 23eb7cc..2544770 100644
--- a/test/FMI3/model_description.jl
+++ b/test/FMI3/model_description.jl
@@ -34,7 +34,17 @@ myFMU = loadFMU("BouncingBall", "ModelicaReferenceFMUs", "0.0.30", "3.0")
 @test myFMU.modelDescription.eventIndicatorValueReferences == [1]
 @test typeof(myFMU.modelDescription.modelStructure.eventIndicators[1]) == fmi3VariableDependency
 
+@test isnothing(myFMU.modelDescription.modelStructure.continuousStateDerivatives[1].dependencies)
+
 
 info(myFMU) # check if there is an error thrown
 
 unloadFMU(myFMU)
+
+# Sadly there are no FMI3-Reference-FMUs with dependencies=""
+# myFMU = loadFMU("Dahlquist", "ModelicaReferenceFMUs", "0.0.30", "3.0")
+# @test !isnothing(myFMU.modelDescription.modelStructure.outputs[1].dependencies)
+
+# info(myFMU) # check if there is an error thrown
+
+# unloadFMU(myFMU)