diff --git a/command/encoding/json.go b/command/encoding/json.go
index f59548c7..beeccf42 100644
--- a/command/encoding/json.go
+++ b/command/encoding/json.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ type Rows struct {
 // AssociativeRows represents the outcome of an operation that returns query data.
 type AssociativeRows struct {
 	Types map[string]string        `json:"types,omitempty"`
-	Rows  []map[string]interface{} `json:"rows,omitempty"`
+	Rows  []map[string]interface{} `json:"rows"`
 	Error string                   `json:"error,omitempty"`
 	Time  float64                  `json:"time,omitempty"`
 }
diff --git a/command/encoding/json_test.go b/command/encoding/json_test.go
index 1eda3bb2..7ac082a8 100644
--- a/command/encoding/json_test.go
+++ b/command/encoding/json_test.go
@@ -438,8 +438,17 @@ func Test_MarshalExecuteQueryResponse(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 					},
 				},
+				{
+					Result: &command.ExecuteQueryResponse_Q{
+						Q: &command.QueryRows{
+							Columns: []string{"column1", "column2"},
+							Types:   []string{"int", "text"},
+							Values:  []*command.Values{},
+						},
+					},
+				},
 			},
-			expected: `[{"last_insert_id":123,"rows_affected":456},{"error":"unique constraint failed"},{"columns":["column1","column2"],"types":["int","text"],"values":[[456,"declan"]]}]`,
+			expected: `[{"last_insert_id":123,"rows_affected":456},{"error":"unique constraint failed"},{"columns":["column1","column2"],"types":["int","text"],"values":[[456,"declan"]]},{"columns":["column1","column2"],"types":["int","text"]}]`,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -551,8 +560,26 @@ func Test_MarshalExecuteQueryAssociativeResponse(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 					},
 				},
+				{
+					Result: &command.ExecuteQueryResponse_Q{
+						Q: &command.QueryRows{
+							Columns: []string{"aaa", "bbb"},
+							Types:   []string{"int", "text"},
+							Values:  []*command.Values{},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				{
+					Result: &command.ExecuteQueryResponse_Q{
+						Q: &command.QueryRows{
+							Columns: []string{"ccc", "ddd"},
+							Types:   []string{"int", "text"},
+							Values:  nil,
+						},
+					},
+				},
 			},
-			expected: `[{"last_insert_id":123,"rows_affected":456,"rows":null},{"error":"unique constraint failed"},{"types":{"column1":"int","column2":"text"},"rows":[{"column1":456,"column2":"declan"}]}]`,
+			expected: `[{"last_insert_id":123,"rows_affected":456,"rows":null},{"error":"unique constraint failed"},{"types":{"column1":"int","column2":"text"},"rows":[{"column1":456,"column2":"declan"}]},{"types":{"aaa":"int","bbb":"text"},"rows":[]},{"types":{"ccc":"int","ddd":"text"},"rows":[]}]`,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/store/store_test.go b/store/store_test.go
index 667461f1..ac8d5854 100644
--- a/store/store_test.go
+++ b/store/store_test.go
@@ -2305,6 +2305,26 @@ func Test_MultiNodeExecuteQueryFreshness(t *testing.T) {
 	if exp, got := `[[1,"fiona"]]`, asJSON(r[0].Values); exp != got {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected results for query\nexp: %s\ngot: %s", exp, got)
 	}
+
+	// Check Stale-read detection works with Requests too.
+	eqr := executeQueryRequestFromString("SELECT * FROM foo", command.ExecuteQueryRequest_QUERY_REQUEST_LEVEL_NONE,
+		false, false)
+	eqr.Freshness = mustParseDuration("1ns").Nanoseconds()
+	_, err = s1.Request(eqr)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("freshness violating request didn't return an error")
+	}
+	if err != ErrStaleRead {
+		t.Fatalf("freshness violating request returned wrong error: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+	eqr.Freshness = 0
+	eqresp, err := s1.Request(eqr)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("inactive freshness violating request returned an error")
+	}
+	if exp, got := `[{"columns":["id","name"],"types":["integer","text"],"values":[[1,"fiona"]]}]`, asJSON(eqresp); exp != got {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected results for query\nexp: %s\ngot: %s", exp, got)
+	}
 }
 
 func Test_StoreLogTruncationMultinode(t *testing.T) {
@@ -2933,6 +2953,10 @@ func queryRequestFromStrings(s []string, timings, tx bool) *command.QueryRequest
 	}
 }
 
+func executeQueryRequestFromString(s string, lvl command.ExecuteQueryRequest_Level, timings, tx bool) *command.ExecuteQueryRequest {
+	return executeQueryRequestFromStrings([]string{s}, lvl, timings, tx)
+}
+
 func executeQueryRequestFromStrings(s []string, lvl command.ExecuteQueryRequest_Level, timings, tx bool) *command.ExecuteQueryRequest {
 	stmts := make([]*command.Statement, len(s))
 	for i := range s {