diff --git a/octodns/record/base.py b/octodns/record/base.py
index 5d5d0af..443e7ba 100644
--- a/octodns/record/base.py
+++ b/octodns/record/base.py
@@ -374,8 +374,7 @@ class ValueMixin(object):
 
     def _data(self):
         ret = super()._data()
-        if self.value:
-            ret['value'] = getattr(self.value, 'data', self.value)
+        ret['value'] = getattr(self.value, 'data', self.value)
         return ret
 
     @property
diff --git a/tests/test_octodns_record.py b/tests/test_octodns_record.py
index 4d52b71..86f92e5 100644
--- a/tests/test_octodns_record.py
+++ b/tests/test_octodns_record.py
@@ -225,13 +225,13 @@ class TestRecord(TestCase):
         a = AliasRecord(
             self.zone, '', {'type': 'ALIAS', 'ttl': 600, 'value': None}
         )
-        self.assertNotIn('value', a.data)
+        self.assertIsNone(a.data['value'])
 
         # unspecified value, no value in data
         a = AliasRecord(
             self.zone, '', {'type': 'ALIAS', 'ttl': 600, 'value': ''}
         )
-        self.assertNotIn('value', a.data)
+        self.assertIsNone(a.data['value'])
 
     def test_record_new(self):
         txt = Record.new(
@@ -349,6 +349,16 @@ class TestRecord(TestCase):
         dup = txt.copy()
         self.assertEqual(txt.values, dup.values)
 
+        cname = Record.new(
+            self.zone,
+            'cname',
+            {'ttl': 45, 'type': 'CNAME', 'value': ''},
+            lenient=True,
+        )
+
+        dup = cname.copy()
+        self.assertEqual(cname.value, dup.value)
+
     def test_change(self):
         existing = Record.new(
             self.zone, 'txt', {'ttl': 44, 'type': 'TXT', 'value': 'some text'}