diff --git a/src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub.erl b/src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub.erl
index e2d954aa7..7bc9b151e 100644
--- a/src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub.erl
+++ b/src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub.erl
@@ -2421,7 +2421,7 @@ publish_item(Host, ServerHost, Node, Publisher, ItemId, Payload) ->
 		     DeliverPayloads = get_option(Options, deliver_payloads),
 		     PersistItems = get_option(Options, persist_items),
 		     {PayloadCount, PayloadNS} = payload_els_ns(Payload),
-		     PayloadSize = size(term_to_binary(Payload)),
+		     PayloadSize = size(term_to_binary(Payload))-2, % size(term_to_binary([])) == 2
 		     PayloadMaxSize = get_option(Options, max_payload_size),
 		     InvalidNS = case get_option(Options, type) of
 				     false -> false;
diff --git a/src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub_odbc.erl b/src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub_odbc.erl
index 6d5cd19e0..a6b7a5dff 100644
--- a/src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub_odbc.erl
+++ b/src/mod_pubsub/mod_pubsub_odbc.erl
@@ -2216,7 +2216,7 @@ publish_item(Host, ServerHost, Node, Publisher, ItemId, Payload) ->
 		     DeliverPayloads = get_option(Options, deliver_payloads),
 		     PersistItems = get_option(Options, persist_items),
 		     {PayloadCount, PayloadNS} = payload_els_ns(Payload),
-		     PayloadSize = size(term_to_binary(Payload)),
+		     PayloadSize = size(term_to_binary(Payload))-2, % size(term_to_binary([])) == 2
 		     PayloadMaxSize = get_option(Options, max_payload_size),
 		     InvalidNS = case get_option(Options, type) of
 				     false -> false;