diff --git a/json2xml/dicttoxml.py b/json2xml/dicttoxml.py
index a547301..140a013 100755
--- a/json2xml/dicttoxml.py
+++ b/json2xml/dicttoxml.py
@@ -444,8 +444,14 @@ def dicttoxml(
         % (type(obj).__name__, str(obj))
     )
     output = []
-    output.append('<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>')
-    output.append(
-        f"<{custom_root}>{convert(obj, ids, attr_type, item_func, cdata, item_wrap, parent=custom_root)}</{custom_root}>"
-    )
+    if root:
+        output.append('<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>')
+        output.append('<%s>%s</%s>' % (
+            custom_root,
+            convert(obj, ids, attr_type, item_func, cdata, item_wrap, parent=custom_root),
+            custom_root
+        ))
+    else:
+        output.append(convert(obj, ids, attr_type, item_func, cdata, item_wrap, parent=''))
+
     return "".join(output).encode("utf-8")
diff --git a/tests/test_json2xml.py b/tests/test_json2xml.py
index 7aa047b..5b65b68 100644
--- a/tests/test_json2xml.py
+++ b/tests/test_json2xml.py
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@
 
 import unittest
 from collections import OrderedDict
+from pyexpat import ExpatError
+
 import pytest
 import xmltodict
 import json
 
 from json2xml import json2xml
+from json2xml.dicttoxml import dicttoxml
 from json2xml.utils import readfromjson, readfromstring, readfromurl, JSONReadError, StringReadError, URLReadError
 
 
@@ -73,29 +76,26 @@ def test_custom_wrapper_and_indent(self):
         data = readfromstring(
             '{"login":"mojombo","id":1,"avatar_url":"https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/1?v=4"}'
         )
-        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, root=False, wrapper="test", pretty=False).to_xml()
+        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, wrapper="test", pretty=False).to_xml()
         old_dict = xmltodict.parse(xmldata)
         # test must be present, snce it is the wrpper
         assert "test" in old_dict.keys()
         # reverse test, say a wrapper called ramdom won't be present
         assert "random" not in old_dict.keys()
 
-    def test_no_wrapper_and_indent(self):
+    def test_no_wrapper(self):
         data = readfromstring(
             '{"login":"mojombo","id":1,"avatar_url":"https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/1?v=4"}'
         )
-        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, root=False, wrapper="test", pretty=False).to_xml()
-        old_dict = xmltodict.parse(xmldata)
-        # test must be present, since it is the wrpper
-        assert "test" in old_dict.keys()
-        # reverse test, say a wrapper called ramdom won't be present
-        assert "random" not in old_dict.keys()
+        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, root=False, pretty=False).to_xml()
+        assert xmldata.startswith(b'<login type="str">mojombo</login>')
+        self.assertRaises(ExpatError, xmltodict.parse, xmldata)
 
     def test_item_wrap(self):
         data = readfromstring(
             '{"my_items":[{"my_item":{"id":1} },{"my_item":{"id":2} }],"my_str_items":["a","b"]}'
         )
-        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, root=False, pretty=False).to_xml()
+        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, pretty=False).to_xml()
         old_dict = xmltodict.parse(xmldata)
         # item must be present within my_items
         print(xmldata)
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ def test_no_item_wrap(self):
         data = readfromstring(
             '{"my_items":[{"my_item":{"id":1} },{"my_item":{"id":2} }],"my_str_items":["a","b"]}'
         )
-        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, root=False, pretty=False, item_wrap=False).to_xml()
+        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, pretty=False, item_wrap=False).to_xml()
         old_dict = xmltodict.parse(xmldata)
         # my_item must be present within my_items
         print(xmldata)
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def test_empty_array(self):
         data = readfromstring(
             '{"empty_list":[]}'
         )
-        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, root=False, pretty=False).to_xml()
+        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, pretty=False).to_xml()
         old_dict = xmltodict.parse(xmldata)
         print(xmldata)
         # item empty_list be present within all
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def test_attrs(self):
         data = readfromstring(
             '{"my_string":"a","my_int":1,"my_float":1.1,"my_bool":true,"my_null":null,"empty_list":[],"empty_dict":{}}'
         )
-        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, root=False, pretty=False).to_xml()
+        xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(data, pretty=False).to_xml()
         old_dict = xmltodict.parse(xmldata)
         print(xmldata)
         # test all attrs
@@ -149,3 +149,18 @@ def test_dicttoxml_bug(self):
         xmldata = json2xml.Json2xml(json.dumps(input_dict), wrapper='response', pretty=False, attr_type=False, item_wrap=False).to_xml()
         old_dict = xmltodict.parse(xmldata)
         assert 'response' in old_dict.keys()
+
+    def test_dict2xml_no_root(self):
+        payload = {'mock': 'payload'}
+        result = dicttoxml(payload, attr_type=False, root=False)
+        assert b'<mock>payload</mock>' == result
+
+    def test_dict2xml_with_root(self):
+        payload = {'mock': 'payload'}
+        result = dicttoxml(payload, attr_type=False)
+        assert b'<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?><root><mock>payload</mock></root>' == result
+
+    def test_dict2xml_with_custom_root(self):
+        payload = {'mock': 'payload'}
+        result = dicttoxml(payload, attr_type=False, custom_root="element")
+        assert b'<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?><element><mock>payload</mock></element>' == result