diff --git a/src/main/java/org/json/XMLParserConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/org/json/XMLParserConfiguration.java
index e85ce53..2e4907f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/json/XMLParserConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/json/XMLParserConfiguration.java
@@ -320,8 +320,9 @@ public class XMLParserConfiguration extends ParserConfiguration {
      * @return same instance of configuration with empty tag config updated
      */
     public XMLParserConfiguration withCloseEmptyTag(boolean closeEmptyTag){
-        this.closeEmptyTag = closeEmptyTag;
-        return this;
+        XMLParserConfiguration clonedConfiguration = this.clone();
+        clonedConfiguration.closeEmptyTag = closeEmptyTag;
+        return clonedConfiguration;
     }
 
     public boolean isCloseEmptyTag() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/json/junit/XMLConfigurationTest.java b/src/test/java/org/json/junit/XMLConfigurationTest.java
index 153d4ed..ffdc20c 100755
--- a/src/test/java/org/json/junit/XMLConfigurationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/json/junit/XMLConfigurationTest.java
@@ -4,11 +4,6 @@ package org.json.junit;
 Public Domain.
 */
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
-import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
-
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileReader;
 import java.io.FileWriter;
@@ -27,6 +22,8 @@ import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.rules.TemporaryFolder;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+
 
 /**
  * Tests for JSON-Java XML.java with XMLParserConfiguration.java
@@ -564,8 +561,28 @@ public class XMLConfigurationTest {
         inputJSON.put("Emptyness", "");
         String expectedXmlWithoutExplicitEndTag = "<Emptyness/>";
         String expectedXmlWithExplicitEndTag = "<Emptyness></Emptyness>";
-        assertEquals(expectedXmlWithoutExplicitEndTag, XML.toString(inputJSON, null, new XMLParserConfiguration().withCloseEmptyTag(false)));
-        assertEquals(expectedXmlWithExplicitEndTag, XML.toString(inputJSON, null, new XMLParserConfiguration().withCloseEmptyTag(true)));
+        assertEquals(expectedXmlWithoutExplicitEndTag, XML.toString(inputJSON, null,
+                new XMLParserConfiguration().withCloseEmptyTag(false)));
+        assertEquals(expectedXmlWithExplicitEndTag, XML.toString(inputJSON, null,
+                new XMLParserConfiguration().withCloseEmptyTag(true)));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldKeepConfigurationIntactAndUpdateCloseEmptyTagChoice()
+    {
+        XMLParserConfiguration keepStrings = XMLParserConfiguration.KEEP_STRINGS;
+        XMLParserConfiguration keepStringsAndCloseEmptyTag = keepStrings.withCloseEmptyTag(true);
+        XMLParserConfiguration keepDigits = keepStringsAndCloseEmptyTag.withKeepStrings(false);
+        XMLParserConfiguration keepDigitsAndNoCloseEmptyTag = keepDigits.withCloseEmptyTag(false);
+        assertTrue(keepStrings.isKeepStrings());
+        assertFalse(keepStrings.isCloseEmptyTag());
+        assertTrue(keepStringsAndCloseEmptyTag.isKeepStrings());
+        assertTrue(keepStringsAndCloseEmptyTag.isCloseEmptyTag());
+        assertFalse(keepDigits.isKeepStrings());
+        assertTrue(keepDigits.isCloseEmptyTag());
+        assertFalse(keepDigitsAndNoCloseEmptyTag.isKeepStrings());
+        assertFalse(keepDigitsAndNoCloseEmptyTag.isCloseEmptyTag());
+
     }
 
     /**