diff --git a/interpreter.go b/interpreter.go
index 13c7460..7e9dab1 100644
--- a/interpreter.go
+++ b/interpreter.go
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ func (intr *treeInterpreter) Execute(node ASTNode, value interface{}) (interface
 		if !ok {
 			return nil, nil
 		}
-		values := make([]interface{}, len(mapType))
+		values := make([]interface{}, 0, len(mapType))
 		for _, value := range mapType {
 			values = append(values, value)
 		}
diff --git a/interpreter_test.go b/interpreter_test.go
index 76e0c5d..0637818 100644
--- a/interpreter_test.go
+++ b/interpreter_test.go
@@ -181,6 +181,15 @@ func TestCanSupportSliceOfStructsWithFunctions(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(result.(float64), 2.0)
 }
 
+func TestValueProjectionDoesNotEmitExtraNulls(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+	var data interface{}
+	assert.Nil(json.Unmarshal([]byte(`{"a": "x", "b": "y"}`), &data))
+	result, err := Search("*.to_string(@)", data)
+	assert.Nil(err)
+	assert.ElementsMatch([]interface{}{"x", "y"}, result)
+}
+
 func BenchmarkInterpretSingleFieldStruct(b *testing.B) {
 	assert := assert.New(b)
 	intr := newInterpreter()