diff --git a/contrib/test_decoding/expected/delayed_startup.out b/contrib/test_decoding/expected/delayed_startup.out
index db8c525ac4..fd5cd36a78 100644
--- a/contrib/test_decoding/expected/delayed_startup.out
+++ b/contrib/test_decoding/expected/delayed_startup.out
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ step s2init: <... completed>
 ?column?       
 
 init           
-step s2start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s2start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 step s1b: BEGIN ISOLATION LEVEL SERIALIZABLE;
 step s1w: INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES;
 step s1c: COMMIT;
-step s2start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s2start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 BEGIN          
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ table public.do_write: INSERT: id[integer]:2
 COMMIT         
 step s1b: BEGIN ISOLATION LEVEL SERIALIZABLE;
 step s1w: INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES;
-step s2start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s2start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 step s1c: COMMIT;
-step s2start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s2start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 BEGIN          
diff --git a/contrib/test_decoding/expected/mxact.out b/contrib/test_decoding/expected/mxact.out
index f0d96cc67d..6ef83d5958 100644
--- a/contrib/test_decoding/expected/mxact.out
+++ b/contrib/test_decoding/expected/mxact.out
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ step s0init: SELECT 'init' FROM pg_create_logical_replication_slot('isolation_sl
 ?column?       
 
 init           
-step s0start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s0start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 step s1begin: BEGIN;
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ step s2sharepgclass: SELECT count(*) > 1 FROM (SELECT * FROM pg_class FOR SHARE)
 
 t              
 step s0w: INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES;
-step s0start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s0start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 BEGIN          
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ step s0init: SELECT 'init' FROM pg_create_logical_replication_slot('isolation_sl
 ?column?       
 
 init           
-step s0start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s0start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 step s1begin: BEGIN;
@@ -51,11 +51,9 @@ step s2keysharepgclass: SELECT count(*) > 1 FROM (SELECT * FROM pg_class FOR KEY
 t              
 step s0alter: ALTER TABLE do_write ADD column ts timestamptz;
 step s0w: INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES;
-step s0start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s0start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
-BEGIN          
-COMMIT         
 BEGIN          
 table public.do_write: INSERT: id[integer]:1 ts[timestamp with time zone]:null
 COMMIT         
diff --git a/contrib/test_decoding/expected/ondisk_startup.out b/contrib/test_decoding/expected/ondisk_startup.out
index c7b1f45b46..a0f9acc7a6 100644
--- a/contrib/test_decoding/expected/ondisk_startup.out
+++ b/contrib/test_decoding/expected/ondisk_startup.out
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ init
 step s2c: COMMIT;
 step s1insert: INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES;
 step s1checkpoint: CHECKPOINT;
-step s1start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s1start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 BEGIN          
@@ -36,15 +36,13 @@ COMMIT
 step s1insert: INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES;
 step s1alter: ALTER TABLE do_write ADD COLUMN addedbys1 int;
 step s1insert: INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES;
-step s1start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');
+step s1start: SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');
 data           
 
 BEGIN          
 table public.do_write: INSERT: id[integer]:2 addedbys2[integer]:null
 COMMIT         
 BEGIN          
-COMMIT         
-BEGIN          
 table public.do_write: INSERT: id[integer]:3 addedbys2[integer]:null addedbys1[integer]:null
 COMMIT         
 ?column?       
diff --git a/contrib/test_decoding/specs/delayed_startup.spec b/contrib/test_decoding/specs/delayed_startup.spec
index b7fe8148ce..949f05a24f 100644
--- a/contrib/test_decoding/specs/delayed_startup.spec
+++ b/contrib/test_decoding/specs/delayed_startup.spec
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ step "s1c" { COMMIT; }
 session "s2"
 setup { SET synchronous_commit=on; }
 step "s2init" {SELECT 'init' FROM pg_create_logical_replication_slot('isolation_slot', 'test_decoding');}
-step "s2start" {SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');}
+step "s2start" {SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');}
 
 
 permutation "s1b" "s1w" "s2init" "s1c" "s2start" "s1b" "s1w" "s1c" "s2start" "s1b" "s1w" "s2start" "s1c" "s2start"
diff --git a/contrib/test_decoding/specs/mxact.spec b/contrib/test_decoding/specs/mxact.spec
index ea5b1aa2d6..7d8abf411a 100644
--- a/contrib/test_decoding/specs/mxact.spec
+++ b/contrib/test_decoding/specs/mxact.spec
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ teardown
 session "s0"
 setup { SET synchronous_commit=on; }
 step "s0init" {SELECT 'init' FROM pg_create_logical_replication_slot('isolation_slot', 'test_decoding');}
-step "s0start" {SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');}
+step "s0start" {SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');}
 step "s0alter" {ALTER TABLE do_write ADD column ts timestamptz; }
 step "s0w" { INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES; }
 
diff --git a/contrib/test_decoding/specs/ondisk_startup.spec b/contrib/test_decoding/specs/ondisk_startup.spec
index 12c57a813d..48c67a770a 100644
--- a/contrib/test_decoding/specs/ondisk_startup.spec
+++ b/contrib/test_decoding/specs/ondisk_startup.spec
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ session "s1"
 setup { SET synchronous_commit=on; }
 
 step "s1init" {SELECT 'init' FROM pg_create_logical_replication_slot('isolation_slot', 'test_decoding');}
-step "s1start" {SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false');}
+step "s1start" {SELECT data FROM pg_logical_slot_get_changes('isolation_slot', NULL, NULL, 'include-xids', 'false', 'skip-empty-xacts', '1');}
 step "s1insert" { INSERT INTO do_write DEFAULT VALUES; }
 step "s1checkpoint" { CHECKPOINT; }
 step "s1alter" { ALTER TABLE do_write ADD COLUMN addedbys1 int; }