diff --git a/eth/rlp/writer.nim b/eth/rlp/writer.nim
index a30959d..545a14d 100644
--- a/eth/rlp/writer.nim
+++ b/eth/rlp/writer.nim
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ proc appendImpl[T](self: var RlpWriter, listOrBlob: openArray[T]) =
     for i in 0 ..< listOrBlob.len:
       self.append listOrBlob[i]
 
-proc countOptionalFields(T: type): int =
+proc countOptionalFields(T: type): int {.compileTime.} =
   mixin enumerateRlpFields
 
   var dummy: T
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ proc countOptionalFields(T: type): int =
   template op(RT, fN, f) =
     when f is Option or f is Opt:
       inc result
+    else: # this will count only optional fields at the end
+      result = 0
 
   enumerateRlpFields(dummy, op)
 
@@ -205,14 +207,18 @@ macro genOptionalFieldsValidation(obj: untyped, T: type, num: static[int]): unty
 proc countFieldsRuntime(obj: object|tuple): int =
   mixin enumerateRlpFields
 
+  var numOptionals: int = 0
+
   template op(RT, fN, f) {.used.} =
     when f is Option or f is Opt:
       if f.isSome: # if optional and non empty
-        inc result
+        inc numOptionals
     else: # if  mandatory field
       inc result
+      numOptionals = 0 # count only optionals at the end (after mandatory)
 
   enumerateRlpFields(obj, op)
+  result += numOptionals
 
 proc appendRecordType*(self: var RlpWriter, obj: object|tuple, wrapInList = wrapObjsInList) =
   mixin enumerateRlpFields, append
diff --git a/tests/rlp/all_tests.nim b/tests/rlp/all_tests.nim
index 783b27d..625768c 100644
--- a/tests/rlp/all_tests.nim
+++ b/tests/rlp/all_tests.nim
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ import
   ./test_api_usage,
   ./test_json_suite,
   ./test_empty_string,
-  ./test_object_serialization
+  ./test_object_serialization,
+  ./test_optional_fields
diff --git a/tests/rlp/test_optional_fields.nim b/tests/rlp/test_optional_fields.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b504176
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rlp/test_optional_fields.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+{.used.}
+
+import
+  ../../eth/[rlp, common],
+  unittest2
+
+# Optionals in between mandatory fields for the convenience of
+# implementation. According to the spec all optionals appear
+# after mandatory fields. Moreover, an empty optional field
+# cannot and will not appear before a non-empty optional field
+
+type ObjectWithOptionals = object
+  a* : uint64
+  b* : uint64
+  c* : Opt[uint64] # should not count this as optional
+  d* : Opt[uint64] # should not count this as optional
+  e* : uint64
+  f* : uint64
+  g* : uint64
+  h* : Opt[uint64] # should not count this as optional
+  i* : Opt[uint64] # should not count this as optional
+  j* : Opt[uint64] # should not count this as optional
+  k* : uint64
+  l* : Opt[uint64] # should count this as an optional
+  m* : Opt[uint64] # should count this as an optional
+  n* : Opt[uint64] # should count this as an optional
+
+var 
+  objWithEmptyOptional: ObjectWithOptionals
+  objWithNonEmptyOptional: ObjectWithOptionals
+  objWithNonEmptyTrailingOptionals: ObjectWithOptionals
+  objWithEmptyTrailingOptionals: ObjectWithOptionals
+
+objWithNonEmptyOptional.c = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyOptional.d = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyOptional.h = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyOptional.i = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyOptional.j = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyOptional.l = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyOptional.m = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyOptional.n = Opt.some(0'u64)
+
+objWithNonEmptyTrailingOptionals.l = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyTrailingOptionals.m = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithNonEmptyTrailingOptionals.n = Opt.some(0'u64)
+
+objWithEmptyTrailingOptionals.c = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithEmptyTrailingOptionals.d = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithEmptyTrailingOptionals.h = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithEmptyTrailingOptionals.i = Opt.some(0'u64)
+objWithEmptyTrailingOptionals.j = Opt.some(0'u64)
+
+suite "test optional fields":
+  test "all optionals are empty":
+    let bytes = rlp.encode(objWithEmptyOptional)
+
+  test "all optionals are non empty":
+    let bytes = rlp.encode(objWithNonEmptyOptional)
+
+  test "Only trailing optionals are non empty":
+    let bytes = rlp.encode(objWithNonEmptyTrailingOptionals)
+
+  test "Only trailing optionals are empty":
+    let bytes = rlp.encode(objWithEmptyTrailingOptionals)
+