diff --git a/base45/base45.go b/base45/base45.go
index e305a98..6893489 100644
--- a/base45/base45.go
+++ b/base45/base45.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func (enc *Encoding) Encode(bytes []byte) []byte {
     var builder strings.Builder
     for i, pair := range pairs {
         res := encodeBase45(pair)
-        if i + 1 == len(pairs) && res[2] == 0 {
+        if i + 1 == len(pairs) && len(bytes) % 2 != 0 {
             for _, b := range res[:2] {
                 if len(enc.encode) > int(b) {
                     builder.WriteByte(enc.encode[b])
diff --git a/base45/base45_test.go b/base45/base45_test.go
index ff6c67d..9d0de39 100644
--- a/base45/base45_test.go
+++ b/base45/base45_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package base45
 
 import (
+    "bytes"
     "testing"
 )
 
@@ -103,3 +104,67 @@ func TestDecodeMalformed(t *testing.T) {
         }
     }
 }
+
+// TestEncodeEvenLengthTrailingZeroChar is a regression test for the bug where
+// Encode dropped the 3rd base45 digit (e) of a 2-byte trailing pair whenever
+// e == 0, emitting 2 chars instead of 3 and breaking the round-trip
+// (Decode(Encode([00 10])) returned [10], silently dropping the 0x00 byte).
+//
+// Per RFC 9285 §4, an even-length input MUST produce an output whose length
+// is divisible by 3 (3 chars per pair); 2 chars are emitted ONLY for a
+// trailing single byte (odd input length).
+func TestEncodeEvenLengthTrailingZeroChar(t *testing.T) {
+    cases := []testPair{
+        // 2-byte pairs whose 3rd base45 digit (e) is 0 — previously dropped.
+        {decoded: "\x00\x10", encoded: "G00"},
+        {decoded: "\x00\x00", encoded: "000"},
+        {decoded: "\x00\xff", encoded: "U50"},
+        // 4-byte inputs whose last pair has e == 0.
+        {decoded: "\x01\x00\x00\x10", encoded: "V50G00"},
+        {decoded: "\x00\x00\x00\x00", encoded: "000000"},
+        // Controls: last pair has e != 0 (already correct).
+        {decoded: "AB", encoded: "BB8"},
+        // Controls: odd-length inputs (trailing single byte) — 2 chars correct.
+        {decoded: "!", encoded: "X0"},
+        {decoded: "\x00", encoded: "00"},
+    }
+    for _, p := range cases {
+        got := StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(p.decoded))
+        testEqual(t, "Encode(%q) = %q, want %q", p.decoded, got, p.encoded)
+    }
+}
+
+// TestEncodeRoundTripEvenLengthTrailingZeroChar verifies that Decode(Encode(x))
+// == x for inputs that previously broke the round-trip.
+func TestEncodeRoundTripEvenLengthTrailingZeroChar(t *testing.T) {
+    inputs := [][]byte{
+        {0x00, 0x10},
+        {0x00, 0x00},
+        {0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x10},
+        {0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00},
+    }
+    for _, in := range inputs {
+        enc := StdEncoding.EncodeToString(in)
+        dec, err := StdEncoding.DecodeString(enc)
+        if err != nil {
+            t.Errorf("Decode(Encode(% x)) returned error: %v", in, err)
+            continue
+        }
+        if !bytes.Equal(dec, in) {
+            t.Errorf("Decode(Encode(% x)) = % x, want % x", in, dec, in)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+// TestEncodeRFC9285Vectors re-asserts the RFC 9285 test vectors.
+func TestEncodeRFC9285Vectors(t *testing.T) {
+    cases := []testPair{
+        {decoded: "AB", encoded: "BB8"},
+        {decoded: "Hello!!", encoded: "%69 VD92EX0"},
+        {decoded: "ietf!", encoded: "QED8WEX0"},
+    }
+    for _, p := range cases {
+        got := StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(p.decoded))
+        testEqual(t, "Encode(%q) = %q, want %q", p.decoded, got, p.encoded)
+    }
+}