diff --git a/status/marshal.go b/status/marshal.go
index 78064c1..1868a43 100644
--- a/status/marshal.go
+++ b/status/marshal.go
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ func (x *Status) StableMarshal(buf []byte) []byte {
 }
 
 func (x *Status) StableSize() (size int) {
+	if x == nil {
+		return 0
+	}
+
 	size += protoutil.UInt32Size(statusCodeFNum, CodeToGRPC(x.code))
 	size += protoutil.StringSize(statusMsgFNum, x.msg)
 
diff --git a/util/proto/marshal.go b/util/proto/marshal.go
index a82478b..ff0d30b 100644
--- a/util/proto/marshal.go
+++ b/util/proto/marshal.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"math"
 	"math/bits"
-	"reflect"
 )
 
 type (
@@ -303,14 +302,13 @@ func NestedStructurePrefix(field int64) (prefix uint64, ln int) {
 }
 
 func NestedStructureMarshal(field int64, buf []byte, v stableMarshaller) int {
-	if v == nil || reflect.ValueOf(v).IsNil() {
+	n := v.StableSize()
+	if n == 0 {
 		return 0
 	}
 
 	prefix, _ := NestedStructurePrefix(field)
 	offset := binary.PutUvarint(buf, prefix)
-
-	n := v.StableSize()
 	offset += binary.PutUvarint(buf[offset:], uint64(n))
 	v.StableMarshal(buf[offset:])
 
@@ -318,12 +316,12 @@ func NestedStructureMarshal(field int64, buf []byte, v stableMarshaller) int {
 }
 
 func NestedStructureSize(field int64, v stableMarshaller) (size int) {
-	if v == nil || reflect.ValueOf(v).IsNil() {
+	n := v.StableSize()
+	if n == 0 {
 		return 0
 	}
 
 	_, ln := NestedStructurePrefix(field)
-	n := v.StableSize()
 	size = ln + VarUIntSize(uint64(n)) + n
 
 	return size