diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c540833..eb62c02 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -49,15 +49,35 @@ Example Response:
 ```javascript
 {
     ItemSearchResponse: {
-        $: {
-            xmlns: 'http://webservices.amazon.com/AWSECommerceService/2011-08-01'
-        },
+        OperationRequest: [Object],
+        Items: [Object]
+    }
+}
+```
+
+NOTE: In v2.0.0, we changed the default for xml2js to set explicitArray to false. Before v.2.0.0, you would get a
+response like this instead (note the extra arrays you have to drill into):
+
+```javascript
+{
+    ItemSearchResponse: {
         OperationRequest: [ [Object] ],
         Items: [ [Object] ]
     }
 }
 ```
 
+You can change back to the old behavior by setting explitArray to true like this:
+
+```javascript
+var opHelper = new OperationHelper({
+    awsId:     '[YOUR AWS ID HERE]',
+    awsSecret: '[YOUR AWS SECRET HERE]',
+    assocId:   '[YOUR ASSOCIATE TAG HERE]',
+    xml2jsOptions: { explicitArray: true }
+});
+```
+
 ## API Documentation
 
 Because we don't define any specific operations, we also don't document them. What a waste
diff --git a/lib/operation-helper.js b/lib/operation-helper.js
index fcad156..5523486 100644
--- a/lib/operation-helper.js
+++ b/lib/operation-helper.js
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ const locale = require('./locale')
 const http = require('http')
 const xml2js = require('xml2js')
 
+const defaultXml2JsOptions = {
+    explicitArray: false
+}
+
 class OperationHelper {
     constructor(params) {
         params = params || {}
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@ class OperationHelper {
         this.assocId = params.assocId
         this.endPoint = params.endPoint || locale.getEndpointForLocale(params.locale)
         this.baseUri = params.baseUri || OperationHelper.defaultBaseUri
-        this.xml2jsOptions = params.xml2jsOptions || {}
+        this.xml2jsOptions = Object.assign({}, defaultXml2JsOptions, params.xml2jsOptions)
         this.throttler = new Throttler(params.maxRequestsPerSecond)
 
         // set version
diff --git a/lib/operation-helper.specs.js b/lib/operation-helper.specs.js
index 9796bab..6b134f6 100644
--- a/lib/operation-helper.specs.js
+++ b/lib/operation-helper.specs.js
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ describe('OperationHelper', function () {
         let requestMock, responseMock, result, outputResponseBody
         const responseBody = '<it><is><some>xml</some></is></it>'
         const xml2jsOptions = {foo: 'bar'}
+        const expectedXml2jsOptions = Object.assign({explicitArray: false}, xml2jsOptions)
 
         context('happy path', () => {
             let opHelper
@@ -196,15 +197,15 @@ describe('OperationHelper', function () {
                 })
 
                 it('should pass the xml2jsOptions to xml2js', () => {
-                    expect(xml2js.parseString.firstCall.args[1]).to.eql(xml2jsOptions)
+                    expect(xml2js.parseString.firstCall.args[1]).to.eql(expectedXml2jsOptions)
                 })
 
                 it('should parse XML and return result as object', () => {
                     expect(result).to.eql({
                         it: {
-                            is: [{
-                                some: ['xml']
-                            }]
+                            is: {
+                                some: 'xml'
+                            }
                         }
                     })
                 })