diff --git a/cyclonedx.go b/cyclonedx.go
index f995afe..cca1f62 100644
--- a/cyclonedx.go
+++ b/cyclonedx.go
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ const (
 )
 
 type Dependency struct {
-	Ref          string        `xml:"ref,attr"`
-	Dependencies *[]Dependency `xml:"dependency,omitempty"`
+	Ref          string    `json:"ref"`
+	Dependencies *[]string `json:"dependsOn,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type Diff struct {
diff --git a/cyclonedx_json.go b/cyclonedx_json.go
index 3efdbde..013578f 100644
--- a/cyclonedx_json.go
+++ b/cyclonedx_json.go
@@ -19,52 +19,6 @@ package cyclonedx
 
 import "encoding/json"
 
-// dependencyJSON is temporarily used for marshalling and unmarshalling Dependency instances to and from JSON
-type dependencyJSON struct {
-	Ref       string   `json:"ref"`
-	DependsOn []string `json:"dependsOn,omitempty"`
-}
-
-func (d Dependency) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
-	if d.Dependencies == nil || len(*d.Dependencies) == 0 {
-		return json.Marshal(&dependencyJSON{
-			Ref: d.Ref,
-		})
-	}
-
-	dependencyRefs := make([]string, len(*d.Dependencies))
-	for i, dependency := range *d.Dependencies {
-		dependencyRefs[i] = dependency.Ref
-	}
-
-	return json.Marshal(&dependencyJSON{
-		Ref:       d.Ref,
-		DependsOn: dependencyRefs,
-	})
-}
-
-func (d *Dependency) UnmarshalJSON(bytes []byte) error {
-	dependency := new(dependencyJSON)
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(bytes, dependency); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	d.Ref = dependency.Ref
-
-	if len(dependency.DependsOn) == 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	dependencies := make([]Dependency, len(dependency.DependsOn))
-	for i, dep := range dependency.DependsOn {
-		dependencies[i] = Dependency{
-			Ref: dep,
-		}
-	}
-	d.Dependencies = &dependencies
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (sv SpecVersion) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(sv.String())
 }
diff --git a/cyclonedx_json_test.go b/cyclonedx_json_test.go
index 7d0099e..2c09340 100644
--- a/cyclonedx_json_test.go
+++ b/cyclonedx_json_test.go
@@ -16,62 +16,3 @@
 // Copyright (c) OWASP Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
 
 package cyclonedx
-
-import (
-	"encoding/json"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-)
-
-func TestDependency_MarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
-	// Marshal empty dependency
-	dependency := Dependency{}
-	jsonBytes, err := json.Marshal(dependency)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "{\"ref\":\"\"}", string(jsonBytes))
-
-	// Marshal dependency with empty dependencies
-	dependency = Dependency{
-		Ref:          "dependencyRef",
-		Dependencies: &[]Dependency{},
-	}
-	jsonBytes, err = json.Marshal(dependency)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "{\"ref\":\"dependencyRef\"}", string(jsonBytes))
-
-	// Marshal dependency with dependencies
-	dependency = Dependency{
-		Ref: "dependencyRef",
-		Dependencies: &[]Dependency{
-			{Ref: "transitiveDependencyRef"},
-		},
-	}
-	jsonBytes, err = json.Marshal(dependency)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "{\"ref\":\"dependencyRef\",\"dependsOn\":[\"transitiveDependencyRef\"]}", string(jsonBytes))
-}
-
-func TestDependency_UnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
-	// Unmarshal empty dependency
-	dependency := new(Dependency)
-	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte("{}"), dependency)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "", dependency.Ref)
-	assert.Nil(t, dependency.Dependencies)
-
-	// Unmarshal dependency with empty dependencies
-	dependency = new(Dependency)
-	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte("{\"ref\":\"dependencyRef\",\"dependsOn\":[]}"), dependency)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "dependencyRef", dependency.Ref)
-	assert.Nil(t, dependency.Dependencies)
-
-	// Unmarshal dependency with dependencies
-	dependency = new(Dependency)
-	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte("{\"ref\":\"dependencyRef\",\"dependsOn\":[\"transitiveDependencyRef\"]}"), dependency)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "dependencyRef", dependency.Ref)
-	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(*dependency.Dependencies))
-	assert.Equal(t, "transitiveDependencyRef", (*dependency.Dependencies)[0].Ref)
-}
diff --git a/cyclonedx_xml.go b/cyclonedx_xml.go
index 83db3c5..655e1bd 100644
--- a/cyclonedx_xml.go
+++ b/cyclonedx_xml.go
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ import (
 	"io"
 )
 
-// bomReferenceXML is temporarily used for marshalling and unmarshalling BOMReference instances to and from XML
+// bomReferenceXML is temporarily used for marshalling and unmarshalling
+// BOMReference instances to and from XML.
 type bomReferenceXML struct {
 	Ref string `json:"-" xml:"ref,attr"`
 }
@@ -55,6 +56,47 @@ func (c *Copyright) UnmarshalXML(d *xml.Decoder, start xml.StartElement) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// dependencyXML is temporarily used for marshalling and unmarshalling
+// Dependency instances to and from XML.
+type dependencyXML struct {
+	Ref          string           `xml:"ref,attr"`
+	Dependencies *[]dependencyXML `xml:"dependency,omitempty"`
+}
+
+func (d Dependency) MarshalXML(e *xml.Encoder, start xml.StartElement) error {
+	xmlDep := dependencyXML{Ref: d.Ref}
+
+	if d.Dependencies != nil && len(*d.Dependencies) > 0 {
+		xmlDeps := make([]dependencyXML, len(*d.Dependencies))
+		for i := range *d.Dependencies {
+			xmlDeps[i] = dependencyXML{Ref: (*d.Dependencies)[i]}
+		}
+		xmlDep.Dependencies = &xmlDeps
+	}
+
+	return e.EncodeElement(xmlDep, start)
+}
+
+func (d *Dependency) UnmarshalXML(dec *xml.Decoder, start xml.StartElement) error {
+	xmlDep := dependencyXML{}
+	err := dec.DecodeElement(&xmlDep, &start)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	dep := Dependency{Ref: xmlDep.Ref}
+	if xmlDep.Dependencies != nil && len(*xmlDep.Dependencies) > 0 {
+		deps := make([]string, len(*xmlDep.Dependencies))
+		for i := range *xmlDep.Dependencies {
+			deps[i] = (*xmlDep.Dependencies)[i].Ref
+		}
+		dep.Dependencies = &deps
+	}
+
+	*d = dep
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (l Licenses) MarshalXML(e *xml.Encoder, start xml.StartElement) error {
 	if len(l) == 0 {
 		return nil
diff --git a/cyclonedx_xml_test.go b/cyclonedx_xml_test.go
index a7f332e..25c1e4a 100644
--- a/cyclonedx_xml_test.go
+++ b/cyclonedx_xml_test.go
@@ -79,6 +79,64 @@ func TestCopyright_UnmarshalXML(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "copyright", copyright.Text)
 }
 
+func TestDependency_MarshalXML(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("Empty", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dependency := Dependency{}
+		xmlBytes, err := xml.Marshal(dependency)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, `<Dependency ref=""></Dependency>`, string(xmlBytes))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("EmptyDependencies", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dependency := Dependency{
+			Ref:          "dependencyRef",
+			Dependencies: &[]string{},
+		}
+		xmlBytes, err := xml.Marshal(dependency)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, `<Dependency ref="dependencyRef"></Dependency>`, string(xmlBytes))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("WithDependencies", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dependency := Dependency{
+			Ref: "dependencyRef",
+			Dependencies: &[]string{
+				"transitiveDependencyRef",
+			},
+		}
+		xmlBytes, err := xml.Marshal(dependency)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, `<Dependency ref="dependencyRef"><dependency ref="transitiveDependencyRef"></dependency></Dependency>`, string(xmlBytes))
+	})
+}
+
+func TestDependency_UnmarshalXML(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("Empty", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dependency := Dependency{}
+		err := xml.Unmarshal([]byte(`<Dependency></Dependency>`), &dependency)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "", dependency.Ref)
+		require.Nil(t, dependency.Dependencies)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("EmptyDependencies", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dependency := Dependency{}
+		err := xml.Unmarshal([]byte(`<Dependency ref="dependencyRef"></Dependency>`), &dependency)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "dependencyRef", dependency.Ref)
+		require.Nil(t, dependency.Dependencies)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("WithDependencies", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dependency := Dependency{}
+		err := xml.Unmarshal([]byte(`<Dependency ref="dependencyRef"><dependency ref="transitiveDependencyRef"></dependency></Dependency>`), &dependency)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "dependencyRef", dependency.Ref)
+		require.Equal(t, 1, len(*dependency.Dependencies))
+		require.Equal(t, "transitiveDependencyRef", (*dependency.Dependencies)[0])
+	})
+}
+
 func TestLicenses_MarshalXML(t *testing.T) {
 	// Marshal license and expressions
 	licenses := Licenses{
diff --git a/example_test.go b/example_test.go
index 4b7e64a..f52d7de 100644
--- a/example_test.go
+++ b/example_test.go
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ func Example_encode() {
 	dependencies := []cdx.Dependency{
 		{
 			Ref: "pkg:golang/acme-inc/acme-app@v1.0.0",
-			Dependencies: &[]cdx.Dependency{
-				{Ref: "pkg:golang/github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-go@v0.3.0"},
+			Dependencies: &[]string{
+				"pkg:golang/github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-go@v0.3.0",
 			},
 		},
 		{
diff --git a/testdata/snapshots/cyclonedx-go-TestRoundTripJSON-func1-valid-dependency.json b/testdata/snapshots/cyclonedx-go-TestRoundTripJSON-func1-valid-dependency.json
index 4ca67e9..a908a7b 100644
--- a/testdata/snapshots/cyclonedx-go-TestRoundTripJSON-func1-valid-dependency.json
+++ b/testdata/snapshots/cyclonedx-go-TestRoundTripJSON-func1-valid-dependency.json
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@
   ],
   "dependencies": [
     {
-      "ref": "library-a"
+      "ref": "library-a",
+      "dependsOn": []
     },
     {
       "ref": "library-b",