diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index 47570132..4abc1a70 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -53,13 +53,15 @@ var parseObject = function (chain, val, options) {
         var obj;
         var root = chain[i];
 
-        if (root === '[]') {
+        if (root === '[]' && options.parseArrays) {
             obj = [].concat(leaf);
         } else {
             obj = options.plainObjects ? Object.create(null) : {};
             var cleanRoot = root.charAt(0) === '[' && root.charAt(root.length - 1) === ']' ? root.slice(1, -1) : root;
             var index = parseInt(cleanRoot, 10);
-            if (
+            if (!options.parseArrays && cleanRoot === '') {
+                obj = { 0: leaf };
+            } else if (
                 !isNaN(index)
                 && root !== cleanRoot
                 && String(index) === cleanRoot
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2c654900..ed6ccf06 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
         "test": "npm run --silent coverage",
         "tests-only": "node test",
         "readme": "evalmd README.md",
-        "prelint": "editorconfig-tools check * lib/* test/*",
+        "postlint": "editorconfig-tools check * lib/* test/*",
         "lint": "eslint lib/*.js test/*.js",
         "coverage": "covert test",
         "dist": "mkdirp dist && browserify --standalone Qs lib/index.js > dist/qs.js"
diff --git a/test/parse.js b/test/parse.js
index 0f8fe457..c6d0fbfe 100644
--- a/test/parse.js
+++ b/test/parse.js
@@ -302,7 +302,14 @@ test('parse()', function (t) {
     });
 
     t.test('allows disabling array parsing', function (st) {
-        st.deepEqual(qs.parse('a[0]=b&a[1]=c', { parseArrays: false }), { a: { 0: 'b', 1: 'c' } });
+        var indices = qs.parse('a[0]=b&a[1]=c', { parseArrays: false });
+        st.deepEqual(indices, { a: { 0: 'b', 1: 'c' } });
+        st.equal(Array.isArray(indices.a), false, 'parseArrays:false, indices case is not an array');
+
+        var emptyBrackets = qs.parse('a[]=b', { parseArrays: false });
+        st.deepEqual(emptyBrackets, { a: { 0: 'b' } });
+        st.equal(Array.isArray(emptyBrackets.a), false, 'parseArrays:false, empty brackets case is not an array');
+
         st.end();
     });