diff --git a/src/serializer/decoder.ts b/src/serializer/decoder.ts
index a8b0bc2f..aaa284be 100644
--- a/src/serializer/decoder.ts
+++ b/src/serializer/decoder.ts
@@ -150,6 +150,20 @@ interface DecodingContext {
 /** Marker for objects when they have been resolved, i.e. their types `from` factory method will not need to resolve children. */
 export const Resolved = Symbol('Resolved')
 
+/** True if this type, or an alias it resolves to, is optional. */
+function resolvesOptional(type: ABI.ResolvedType): boolean {
+    let current: ABI.ResolvedType | undefined = type
+    const seen = new Set<ABI.ResolvedType>()
+    while (current && !seen.has(current)) {
+        if (current.isOptional) {
+            return true
+        }
+        seen.add(current)
+        current = current.ref
+    }
+    return false
+}
+
 function decodeBinary(type: ABI.ResolvedType, decoder: ABIDecoder, ctx: DecodingContext): any {
     if (ctx.codingPath.length > 32) {
         throw new Error('Maximum decoding depth exceeded')
@@ -199,7 +213,10 @@ function decodeBinary(type: ABI.ResolvedType, decoder: ABIDecoder, ctx: Decoding
                 const rv: any = {}
                 for (const field of fields) {
                     ctx.codingPath.push({field: field.name, type: field.type})
-                    rv[field.name] = decodeBinary(field.type, decoder, ctx)
+                    const value = decodeBinary(field.type, decoder, ctx)
+                    if (!(value === null && resolvesOptional(field.type))) {
+                        rv[field.name] = value
+                    }
                     ctx.codingPath.pop()
                 }
                 if (abiType) {
@@ -284,7 +301,10 @@ function decodeObject(value: any, type: ABI.ResolvedType, ctx: DecodingContext):
             const struct: any = {}
             for (const field of fields) {
                 ctx.codingPath.push({field: field.name, type: field.type})
-                struct[field.name] = decodeObject(value[field.name], field.type, ctx)
+                const fieldValue = decodeObject(value[field.name], field.type, ctx)
+                if (!(fieldValue === null && resolvesOptional(field.type))) {
+                    struct[field.name] = fieldValue
+                }
                 ctx.codingPath.pop()
             }
             if (abiType) {
@@ -355,7 +375,10 @@ function defaultValue(
         const rv: any = {}
         for (const field of type.allFields) {
             ctx.codingPath.push({field: field.name, type: field.type})
-            rv[field.name] = defaultValue(field.type, ctx, seen)
+            const value = defaultValue(field.type, ctx, seen)
+            if (!(value === null && resolvesOptional(field.type))) {
+                rv[field.name] = value
+            }
             ctx.codingPath.pop()
         }
         if (abiType) {
diff --git a/src/serializer/index.ts b/src/serializer/index.ts
index a930e23e..cdc0beda 100644
--- a/src/serializer/index.ts
+++ b/src/serializer/index.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ export namespace Serializer {
                     }
                     const rv: any = {}
                     for (const key of Object.keys(v)) {
-                        rv[key] = walk(v[key])
+                        const value = walk(v[key])
+                        if (value === null || value === undefined) {
+                            continue
+                        }
+                        rv[key] = value
                     }
                     return rv
                 }
diff --git a/test/serializer.ts b/test/serializer.ts
index 0f78e824..621a4199 100644
--- a/test/serializer.ts
+++ b/test/serializer.ts
@@ -847,8 +847,13 @@ suite('serializer', function () {
                 'c3dfdd231ed38907504900000000005049000000000000765edf01000000000750490000000000765edf01000000000750' +
                 '49000000000000000053419a81ab0101010001020101000568656c6c6f0105776f726c6400'
         )
-        const decoded = Serializer.decode({data, type: 'all_types', abi})
-        assert.deepStrictEqual(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(decoded)), object)
+        const decoded = Serializer.decode({data, type: 'all_types', abi}) as any
+        const expected = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(object))
+        delete expected.alias6
+        delete expected.extension.extension.extension
+        assert.deepStrictEqual(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(decoded)), expected)
+        assert.notProperty(decoded, 'alias6')
+        assert.notProperty(decoded.extension.extension, 'extension')
     })
 
     test('coder metadata', function () {
@@ -1222,6 +1227,59 @@ suite('serializer', function () {
         assert.notProperty(Serializer.objectify(res1), 'proposal_hash')
     })
 
+    test('ABI decode omits absent optional fields', function () {
+        const abi = ABI.from({
+            structs: [
+                {
+                    name: 'permission_level',
+                    base: '',
+                    fields: [
+                        {name: 'actor', type: 'name'},
+                        {name: 'permission', type: 'name'},
+                    ],
+                },
+                {
+                    name: 'approve',
+                    base: '',
+                    fields: [
+                        {name: 'proposer', type: 'name'},
+                        {name: 'proposal_name', type: 'name'},
+                        {name: 'level', type: 'permission_level'},
+                        {name: 'proposal_hash', type: 'checksum256?'},
+                    ],
+                },
+            ],
+            actions: [{name: 'approve', type: 'approve', ricardian_contract: ''}],
+        })
+        const object = {
+            proposer: 'foo',
+            proposal_name: 'bar',
+            level: {
+                actor: 'baz',
+                permission: 'active',
+            },
+        }
+        const data = Serializer.encode({object, abi, type: 'approve'})
+        const decoded = Serializer.decode({data, abi, type: 'approve'})
+        const objectified = Serializer.objectify(decoded)
+        assert.notProperty(decoded, 'proposal_hash')
+        assert.notProperty(objectified, 'proposal_hash')
+        assert.deepStrictEqual(objectified, object)
+
+        const fromObject = Serializer.decode({object, abi, type: 'approve'})
+        assert.notProperty(fromObject, 'proposal_hash')
+        assert.notProperty(Serializer.objectify(fromObject), 'proposal_hash')
+
+        const hash = '00'.repeat(32)
+        const withHash = {...object, proposal_hash: hash}
+        const decodedWithHash = Serializer.decode({
+            data: Serializer.encode({object: withHash, abi, type: 'approve'}),
+            abi,
+            type: 'approve',
+        })
+        assert.equal(Serializer.objectify(decodedWithHash).proposal_hash, hash)
+    })
+
     test('action_results', function () {
         const raw = {
             ____comment: 'This file was generated with eosio-abigen. DO NOT EDIT ',