diff --git a/decoder.go b/decoder.go
index 16ece12..5352a90 100644
--- a/decoder.go
+++ b/decoder.go
@@ -283,11 +283,7 @@ func (d *Decoder) decode(v reflect.Value, path string, parts []pathPart, values
 			val = values[len(values)-1]
 		}
 
-		if val == "" {
-			if d.zeroEmpty {
-				v.Set(reflect.Zero(t))
-			}
-		} else if conv != nil {
+		if conv != nil {
 			if value := conv(val); value.IsValid() {
 				v.Set(value.Convert(t))
 			} else {
@@ -321,6 +317,10 @@ func (d *Decoder) decode(v reflect.Value, path string, parts []pathPart, values
 					}
 				}
 			}
+		} else if val == "" {
+			if d.zeroEmpty {
+				v.Set(reflect.Zero(t))
+			}
 		} else if conv := builtinConverters[t.Kind()]; conv != nil {
 			if value := conv(val); value.IsValid() {
 				v.Set(value.Convert(t))
diff --git a/decoder_test.go b/decoder_test.go
index ac4898a..ee839e9 100644
--- a/decoder_test.go
+++ b/decoder_test.go
@@ -1737,3 +1737,33 @@ func TestTextUnmarshalerTypeSliceOfStructs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("Expecting invalid path error", err)
 	}
 }
+
+type S22 string
+
+func (s *S22) UnmarshalText(text []byte) error {
+	*s = S22("a")
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Test to ensure that when a field that should be decoded into a type
+// implementing the encoding.TextUnmarshaler interface is set to an empty value
+// that the UnmarshalText method is utilized over other methods of decoding,
+// especially including simply setting the zero value.
+func TestTextUnmarshalerEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	data := map[string][]string{
+		"Value": []string{""}, // empty value
+	}
+	// Implements encoding.TextUnmarshaler, should use the type's
+	// UnmarshalText method.
+	s := struct {
+		Value S22
+	}{}
+	decoder := NewDecoder()
+	if err := decoder.Decode(&s, data); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Error while decoding:", err)
+	}
+	expected := S22("a")
+	if expected != s.Value {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %v errors, got %v", expected, s.Value)
+	}
+}