diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Powerpoint/Output.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Powerpoint/Output.hs
index 63d302ed4349..c0d1f2eba1c2 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Powerpoint/Output.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Powerpoint/Output.hs
@@ -1752,7 +1752,9 @@ metadataToElement layout titleElems subtitleElems authorsElems dateElems
   , Just cSld <- findChild (elemName ns "p" "cSld") layout
   , Just spTree <- findChild (elemName ns "p" "spTree") cSld = do
       let combinedAuthorElems = intercalate [Break] authorsElems
-          subtitleAndAuthorElems = intercalate [Break, Break] [subtitleElems, combinedAuthorElems]
+          subtitleAndAuthorElems = intercalate [Break, Break] $
+                                    filter (not . null)
+                                     [subtitleElems, combinedAuthorElems]
       (titleId, titleElement) <- nonBodyTextToElement layout [PHType "ctrTitle"] titleElems
       (subtitleId, subtitleElement) <- nonBodyTextToElement layout [PHType "subTitle"] subtitleAndAuthorElems
       (dateId, dateElement) <- nonBodyTextToElement layout [PHType "dt"] dateElems
diff --git a/test/pptx/document-properties-short-desc/output.pptx b/test/pptx/document-properties-short-desc/output.pptx
index fc28a31e39ad..6e80cd6018f7 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/document-properties-short-desc/templated.pptx b/test/pptx/document-properties-short-desc/templated.pptx
index 4feccdac7e7b..d8fe3017d464 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/footer/basic/output.pptx b/test/pptx/footer/basic/output.pptx
index 68ed4c732758..2704c1d2f293 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/footer/fixed-date/output.pptx b/test/pptx/footer/fixed-date/output.pptx
index 089de7a3a820..02a516997648 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/footer/higher-slide-number/output.pptx b/test/pptx/footer/higher-slide-number/output.pptx
index 36bb4683368d..4794808ff156 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/footer/no-title-slide/output.pptx b/test/pptx/footer/no-title-slide/output.pptx
index 843d7db4090e..3206fe9de480 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/layouts/deleted.pptx b/test/pptx/layouts/deleted.pptx
index fe968c01b52a..3bdab9effef4 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/layouts/moved.pptx b/test/pptx/layouts/moved.pptx
index 5ae045727c7e..86798cb5027f 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/speaker-notes-after-metadata/output.pptx b/test/pptx/speaker-notes-after-metadata/output.pptx
index 5edf57e0f9b7..69dd6c01909d 100644
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diff --git a/test/pptx/speaker-notes-after-metadata/templated.pptx b/test/pptx/speaker-notes-after-metadata/templated.pptx
index 17f65fd30fcc..d54d5b1ff03d 100644
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