diff --git a/src/models/localizedModel.js b/src/models/localizedModel.js
index c4c7d77..b28376a 100644
--- a/src/models/localizedModel.js
+++ b/src/models/localizedModel.js
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ class LocalizedModel{
     const model = this;
     this._localizedProxy = new Proxy(this, {
       set(target, prop, newVal){
-        const attrMap = model._strMap[prop];
+        var attrMap = model._strMap[prop];
+        if(!attrMap && prop !== '_strMap' && prop !== '_localeKey' && prop !== '_localizedProxy'){
+          attrMap = model._strMap[prop] = {};
+        }
         if(attrMap){
           model._setLocalizedValue(prop, newVal);
         }
@@ -97,7 +100,10 @@ class LocalizedModel{
     return new Proxy(object, {
       set(target, prop, newVal){
         const resolvedAttrKey = `${attrKey}.${prop}`;
-        const attrMap = model._strMap[resolvedAttrKey];
+        var attrMap = model._strMap[resolvedAttrKey];
+        if(!attrMap && prop !== '_strMap' && prop !== '_localeKey' && prop !== '_localizedProxy'){
+          attrMap = model._strMap[resolvedAttrKey] = {};
+        }
         if(attrMap){
           model._setLocalizedValue(resolvedAttrKey, newVal);
         }
@@ -153,6 +159,7 @@ class LocalizedModel{
    */
   inflateLocales(attrKeyMap, arrIndex){
     var localeObj = {};
+    var localeKeysMap = {};
 
     Object.keys(attrKeyMap).forEach((cacheKey) => {
       var resolvedCacheKey = cacheKey;
@@ -162,6 +169,7 @@ class LocalizedModel{
       let attrMap = this._strMap[resolvedCacheKey];
       if(attrMap){
         Object.keys(attrMap).forEach(function(localeKey){
+          localeKeysMap[localeKey] = true;
           const outputKey = attrKeyMap[cacheKey];
           if(!Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(localeObj, localeKey)){
             localeObj[localeKey] = {};
@@ -171,6 +179,17 @@ class LocalizedModel{
       }
     })
 
+    Object.keys(localeKeysMap).forEach(function(localeKey){
+      let localeMap = localeObj[localeKey]
+      
+      Object.keys(attrKeyMap).forEach((cacheKey) => {
+        const outputKey = attrKeyMap[cacheKey];
+        if(!Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(localeMap, outputKey)){
+          localeMap[outputKey] = '';
+        }
+      })
+    })
+
     return localeObj;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/num.js b/src/utils/num.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c86ac5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/num.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+var NumUtil = {
+  isNumber: function(val){
+    return typeof val === 'number' && !isNaN(val);
+  },
+  isStrNumber: function(val){
+    return NumUtil.isNumber(+val);
+  }
+};
+
+export default NumUtil;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utils/obj.js b/src/utils/obj.js
index fc25ac7..9bcdc54 100644
--- a/src/utils/obj.js
+++ b/src/utils/obj.js
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
+import NumUtil from "./num";
+
 var ObjUtil = {
+  isObject: function(obj){
+    return typeof obj === 'object' && obj !== null;
+  },
   getByStr: function (obj, keyStr) {
     // convert indexes to properties
     keyStr = keyStr.replace(/\[(\w+)\]/g, '.$1');
@@ -7,7 +12,7 @@ var ObjUtil = {
     var aKeys = keyStr.split('.');
     for (var i = 0, n = aKeys.length; i < n; ++i) {
       var key = aKeys[i];
-      if (key in obj) {
+      if (ObjUtil.isObject(obj) && key in obj) {
         obj = obj[key];
       } else {
         return;
@@ -26,7 +31,7 @@ var ObjUtil = {
       if (key in obj && i + 1 < n) {
         obj = obj[key];
       } else if (!(key in obj) && i + 1 < n) {
-        obj[key] = {};
+        obj[key] = NumUtil.isStrNumber(aKeys[i+1]) ? [] : {};
         obj = obj[key];
       } else {
         obj[key] = val;
diff --git a/tests/object.spec.js b/tests/object.spec.js
index 4cc389c..834b35c 100644
--- a/tests/object.spec.js
+++ b/tests/object.spec.js
@@ -80,4 +80,30 @@ test('Update respective proxied locale values', () => {
   let serverPayload = appObj.toJSON();
   expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.en?.header).toBe('englishtest');
   expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.fr?.header).toBe('frenchtest');
+})
+
+test('New instance setting attribute will serialize', () => {
+  let appObj = new AppObject();
+  appObj.secondLevelObj.header = 'first value';
+  appObj.localize('fr');
+  appObj.secondLevelObj.header = 'french value';
+  let serverPayload = appObj.toJSON();
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel).toBeInstanceOf(Object)
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.en?.header).toBe('first value')
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.fr?.header).toBe('french value')
+})
+
+test('Serialization is symmetrical across locales even for empty values', () => {
+  let appObj = new AppObject();
+  appObj.secondLevelObj.header = 'first value';
+  appObj.localize('fr');
+  appObj.secondLevelObj.header = 'french value';
+  let serverPayload = appObj.toJSON();
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel).toBeInstanceOf(Object)
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.en?.header).toBe('first value')
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.en?.subHeader).toBe('');
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.en?.description).toBe('');
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.fr?.header).toBe('french value')
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.fr?.subHeader).toBe('');
+  expect(serverPayload?.secondLevel?.localizations?.fr?.description).toBe('');
 })
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/toplevel.spec.js b/tests/toplevel.spec.js
index e854bfa..1cb9c89 100644
--- a/tests/toplevel.spec.js
+++ b/tests/toplevel.spec.js
@@ -78,4 +78,28 @@ test('Update respective proxied locale values', () => {
   let serverPayload = appObj.toJSON();
   expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.en?.header).toBe('englishtest');
   expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.fr?.header).toBe('frenchtest');
+})
+
+test('New instance setting attribute will serialize', () => {
+  let appObj = new AppObject();
+  appObj.header = 'first value';
+  appObj.localize('fr');
+  appObj.header = 'french value';
+  let serverPayload = appObj.toJSON();
+  expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.en?.header).toBe('first value')
+  expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.fr?.header).toBe('french value')
+})
+
+test('Serialization is symmetrical across locales even for empty values', () => {
+  let appObj = new AppObject();
+  appObj.header = 'first value';
+  appObj.localize('fr');
+  appObj.header = 'french value';
+  let serverPayload = appObj.toJSON();
+  expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.en?.header).toBe('first value');
+  expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.en?.subHeader).toBe('');
+  expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.en?.description).toBe('');
+  expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.fr?.header).toBe('french value');
+  expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.fr?.subHeader).toBe('');
+  expect(serverPayload?.localizations?.fr?.description).toBe('');
 })
\ No newline at end of file