diff --git a/crates/netconf-proto/src/protocol.rs b/crates/netconf-proto/src/protocol.rs
index 0895017d..641a19d6 100644
--- a/crates/netconf-proto/src/protocol.rs
+++ b/crates/netconf-proto/src/protocol.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2026-present The NetCalyx Authors.
 // Copyright (C) 2025-present The NetGauze Authors.
 //
 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
@@ -2598,6 +2599,33 @@ mod tests {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// A `<get>`/`<get-config>` reply whose filter matched nothing comes back
+    /// as a self-closing `<data/>`. This must parse as empty data, not fail
+    /// with `ParsingError::Eof` from scanning past `</rpc-reply>` for a
+    /// non-existent `</data>` end tag.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_rpc_reply_empty_data() -> Result<(), ParsingError> {
+        let expected = RpcReply {
+            message_id: Some("215".into()),
+            reply: RpcReplyContent::ErrorsAndData {
+                errors: vec![],
+                responses: RpcResponse::WellKnown(WellKnownRpcResponse::Data("".into())),
+            },
+        };
+
+        // self-closing form
+        test_xml_value(
+            r#"<rpc-reply message-id="215" xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0"><data/></rpc-reply>"#,
+            expected.clone(),
+        )?;
+        // explicit open/close form
+        test_xml_value(
+            r#"<rpc-reply message-id="215" xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0"><data></data></rpc-reply>"#,
+            expected,
+        )?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_rpc_reply_content() {
         let data = RpcResponse::Raw("SomeData".into());
diff --git a/crates/netconf-proto/src/xml_utils.rs b/crates/netconf-proto/src/xml_utils.rs
index 8646944b..b6a066b1 100644
--- a/crates/netconf-proto/src/xml_utils.rs
+++ b/crates/netconf-proto/src/xml_utils.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2026-present The NetCalyx Authors.
 // Copyright (C) 2025-present The NetGauze Authors.
 //
 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 // You may obtain a copy of the License at
 //
-//    https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 //
 // Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 // distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
@@ -575,6 +576,12 @@ impl<'a, R: io::BufRead> XmlParser<'a, R> {
     /// - The namespace resolution only occurs once (on the first start tag) to
     ///   minimize overhead
     pub fn copy_buffer_till(&mut self, tag: &'_ [u8]) -> Result<Box<str>, ParsingError> {
+        // A self-closing container (e.g. `<data/>`) has no children and thus no
+        // matching end tag to copy up to; scanning would run to EOF. Mirror the
+        // guard used by `collect_xml_sequence` and return empty content.
+        if !self.parent_has_child() {
+            return Ok("".into());
+        }
         let cursor = io::Cursor::new(vec![]);
         let mut writer = quick_xml::writer::Writer::new(cursor);
         let mut wrote_ns = false;
@@ -637,6 +644,13 @@ impl<'a, R: io::BufRead> XmlParser<'a, R> {
         &mut self,
         tag: &'_ [u8],
     ) -> Result<CopiedSubtree, ParsingError> {
+        // Empty/self-closing container: no children, no matching end tag.
+        if !self.parent_has_child() {
+            return Ok(CopiedSubtree {
+                xml: "".into(),
+                namespaces: IndexMap::new(),
+            });
+        }
         let mut writer = quick_xml::writer::Writer::new(io::Cursor::new(Vec::new()));
         let mut namespaces: IndexMap<String, String> = IndexMap::new();
 
@@ -920,6 +934,41 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(parser_empty.peek(), &Event::Eof);
     }
 
+    /// A self-closing container must not make `copy_buffer_till` scan to EOF.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_copy_buffer_till_empty_element() {
+        // self-closing <data/>
+        let mut parser = create_parser(r#"<data/>"#);
+        parser.open(None, "data").expect("open <data/>");
+        assert_eq!(parser.copy_buffer_till(b"data"), Ok("".into()));
+        parser.close().expect("close <data/>");
+
+        // explicit empty <data></data>
+        let mut parser = create_parser(r#"<data></data>"#);
+        parser.open(None, "data").expect("open <data>");
+        assert_eq!(parser.copy_buffer_till(b"data"), Ok("".into()));
+        parser.close().expect("close <data>");
+
+        // non-empty still copies content
+        let mut parser = create_parser(r#"<data><x>1</x></data>"#);
+        parser.open(None, "data").expect("open <data>");
+        let copied = parser.copy_buffer_till(b"data").expect("copy content");
+        assert!(copied.contains("<x>1</x>"), "got `{copied}`");
+    }
+
+    /// Same guard for the namespace-aware variant.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_copy_buffer_till_with_namespaces_empty_element() {
+        let mut parser = create_parser(r#"<filter/>"#);
+        parser.open(None, "filter").expect("open <filter/>");
+        let subtree = parser
+            .copy_buffer_till_with_namespaces(b"filter")
+            .expect("copy empty");
+        assert_eq!(&*subtree.xml, "");
+        assert!(subtree.namespaces.is_empty());
+        parser.close().expect("close <filter/>");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_skip_top_elements() {
         let xml = r#"<?xml version="1.0"?><root><child1>text</child1><child2>123</child2></root>"#;