diff --git a/src/core/plugins/samples/fn.js b/src/core/plugins/samples/fn.js
index cdfc927c..994a2a3b 100644
--- a/src/core/plugins/samples/fn.js
+++ b/src/core/plugins/samples/fn.js
@@ -214,6 +214,9 @@ export const sampleFromSchemaGeneric = (schema, config={}, exampleOverride = und
     // generate xml sample recursively for array case
     if(type === "array") {
       if (!Array.isArray(sample)) {
+        if(typeof sample === "string") {
+          return sample
+        }
         sample = [sample]
       }
       const itemSchema = schema
@@ -239,6 +242,10 @@ export const sampleFromSchemaGeneric = (schema, config={}, exampleOverride = und
 
     // generate xml sample recursively for object case
     if(type === "object") {
+      // case literal example
+      if(typeof sample === "string") {
+        return sample
+      }
       for (let propName in sample) {
         if (!sample.hasOwnProperty(propName)) {
           continue
@@ -382,7 +389,9 @@ export const inferSchema = (thing) => {
 export const createXMLExample = (schema, config, o) => {
   const json = sampleFromSchemaGeneric(schema, config, o, true)
   if (!json) { return }
-
+  if(typeof json === "string") {
+    return json
+  }
   return XML(json, { declaration: true, indent: "\t" })
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/core/plugins/samples/fn.js b/test/unit/core/plugins/samples/fn.js
index c2b327e0..90c1de22 100644
--- a/test/unit/core/plugins/samples/fn.js
+++ b/test/unit/core/plugins/samples/fn.js
@@ -1115,6 +1115,27 @@ describe("createXMLExample", function () {
 
       expect(sut(definition, {}, [{ notalien: "test" }])).toEqual(expected)
     })
+    it("should return literal example", () => {
+      let expected = "<notaliens>\n\t\n\t<dog>0</dog>\n</notaliens>"
+      let definition = {
+        type: "array",
+        items: {
+          properties: {
+            alien: {
+              type: "string"
+            },
+            dog: {
+              type: "integer"
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        xml: {
+          name: "aliens"
+        }
+      }
+
+      expect(sut(definition, {}, expected)).toEqual(expected)
+    })
 })
 
   describe("object", function () {
@@ -1562,6 +1583,25 @@ describe("createXMLExample", function () {
 
       expect(sut(definition, {}, { alien: "test", dog: 1 })).toEqual(expected)
     })
+    it("should return literal example", () => {
+      let expected = "<notaliens>\n\t\n\t<dog>0</dog>\n</notaliens>"
+      let definition = {
+        type: "object",
+        properties: {
+          alien: {
+            type: "string"
+          },
+          dog: {
+            type: "integer"
+          }
+        },
+        xml: {
+          name: "aliens"
+        }
+      }
+
+      expect(sut(definition, {}, expected)).toEqual(expected)
+    })
   })
 })