diff --git a/apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs b/apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs
index d4d78e5d..a301842e 100644
--- a/apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs
+++ b/apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs
@@ -84,15 +84,10 @@ impl DoraNode {
     where
         F: FnOnce(&mut [u8]),
     {
-        let sample = if data_len > 0 {
-            let mut sample = self.allocate_data_sample(data_len)?;
-            data(&mut sample);
-            Some(sample)
-        } else {
-            None
-        };
+        let mut sample = self.allocate_data_sample(data_len)?;
+        data(&mut sample);
 
-        self.send_output_sample(output_id, parameters, sample)
+        self.send_output_sample(output_id, parameters, Some(sample))
     }
 
     pub fn send_output_sample(
diff --git a/binaries/runtime/src/operator/python.rs b/binaries/runtime/src/operator/python.rs
index 056b41c4..b94001a5 100644
--- a/binaries/runtime/src/operator/python.rs
+++ b/binaries/runtime/src/operator/python.rs
@@ -279,31 +279,25 @@ mod callback_impl {
             py: Python,
         ) -> Result<()> {
             let data_len = python_output_len(&data, py)?;
-            let data = if data_len == 0 {
-                None
-            } else {
-                let mut sample = py.allow_threads(|| {
-                    let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel();
-                    self.events_tx
-                        .blocking_send(OperatorEvent::AllocateOutputSample {
-                            len: data_len,
-                            sample: tx,
-                        })
-                        .map_err(|_| eyre!("failed to send output to runtime"))?;
-                    let sample = rx
-                        .blocking_recv()
-                        .wrap_err("failed to request output sample")?
-                        .wrap_err("failed to allocate output sample")?;
-                    Result::<_, eyre::Report>::Ok(sample)
-                })?;
-
-                process_python_output(&data, py, |data| {
-                    sample.copy_from_slice(data);
-                    Ok(())
-                })?;
-
-                Some(sample)
-            };
+            let mut sample = py.allow_threads(|| {
+                let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel();
+                self.events_tx
+                    .blocking_send(OperatorEvent::AllocateOutputSample {
+                        len: data_len,
+                        sample: tx,
+                    })
+                    .map_err(|_| eyre!("failed to send output to runtime"))?;
+                let sample = rx
+                    .blocking_recv()
+                    .wrap_err("failed to request output sample")?
+                    .wrap_err("failed to allocate output sample")?;
+                Result::<_, eyre::Report>::Ok(sample)
+            })?;
+
+            process_python_output(&data, py, |data| {
+                sample.copy_from_slice(data);
+                Ok(())
+            })?;
 
             let metadata = pydict_to_metadata(metadata)
                 .wrap_err("failed to parse metadata")?
@@ -312,7 +306,7 @@ mod callback_impl {
             let event = OperatorEvent::Output {
                 output_id: output.to_owned().into(),
                 metadata,
-                data,
+                data: Some(sample),
             };
 
             py.allow_threads(|| {
diff --git a/binaries/runtime/src/operator/shared_lib.rs b/binaries/runtime/src/operator/shared_lib.rs
index 7685caa1..1fd93793 100644
--- a/binaries/runtime/src/operator/shared_lib.rs
+++ b/binaries/runtime/src/operator/shared_lib.rs
@@ -123,11 +123,7 @@ impl<'lib> SharedLibraryOperator<'lib> {
             let event = OperatorEvent::Output {
                 output_id: DataId::from(String::from(output_id)),
                 metadata,
-                data: if data.is_empty() {
-                    None
-                } else {
-                    Some(data.to_owned().into())
-                },
+                data: Some(data.to_owned().into()),
             };
 
             let result = self