diff --git a/metafacture-biblio/src/main/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/Marc21Encoder.java b/metafacture-biblio/src/main/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/Marc21Encoder.java
index 338795696..9a9a72e78 100644
--- a/metafacture-biblio/src/main/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/Marc21Encoder.java
+++ b/metafacture-biblio/src/main/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/Marc21Encoder.java
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ private void startField(final String name) {
 
     @Override
     public void endEntity() {
-        builder.endDataField();
+        if (state.equals(State.IN_FIELD_ENTITY)) builder.endDataField();
         state = State.IN_RECORD;
     }
 
diff --git a/metafacture-biblio/src/test/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/Marc21DecoderTest.java b/metafacture-biblio/src/test/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/Marc21DecoderTest.java
index c65be8626..95785b126 100644
--- a/metafacture-biblio/src/test/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/Marc21DecoderTest.java
+++ b/metafacture-biblio/src/test/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/Marc21DecoderTest.java
@@ -118,4 +118,36 @@ public void shouldThrowFormatExceptionIfRecordIsTooShort() {
         marc21Decoder.process("00005");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void shouldBeCompatibleWithEncoder() {
+        Marc21Encoder marc21Encoder = new Marc21Encoder();
+        marc21Encoder.setReceiver(marc21Decoder);
+
+        marc21Encoder.startRecord("identifier");
+
+        marc21Encoder.startEntity("leader");
+        marc21Encoder.literal("characterCodingScheme", "a");
+        marc21Encoder.endEntity();
+
+        marc21Encoder.literal("001", "identifier");
+
+        marc21Encoder.startEntity("021a ");
+        marc21Encoder.literal("v", "Fritz");
+        marc21Encoder.literal("n", "Bauer");
+        marc21Encoder.endEntity();
+        marc21Encoder.endRecord();
+
+        final InOrder ordered = inOrder(receiver);
+        ordered.verify(receiver).startRecord("identifier");
+
+        ordered.verify(receiver).startEntity("leader");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).literal("characterCodingScheme", "a");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).endEntity();
+
+        ordered.verify(receiver).startEntity("021a ");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).literal("v", "Fritz");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).literal("n", "Bauer");
+        ordered.verify(receiver).endEntity();
+        ordered.verify(receiver).endRecord();
+    }
 }