diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
index 2748839..6db3c52 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
@@ -30,13 +30,17 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           git fetch origin ${{ github.base_ref }}
           git checkout origin/${{ github.base_ref }}
-          cargo bench --bench flatten -- --save-baseline main
+          cargo bench --bench flatten --color never -- --save-baseline main
 
       - name: Benchmark PR branch
         run: |
           git checkout ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
-          cargo bench --bench flatten -- --baseline main > bench_output.txt 2>&1
-          cat bench_output.txt
+          cargo bench --bench flatten --color never -- --baseline main > bench_output.txt 2>&1
+
+      - name: Extract comparison summary
+        run: |
+          grep -E "(^flatten_|^\s+(time:|thrpt:|change:)|Performance has)" bench_output.txt > bench_summary.txt || echo "No comparison data" > bench_summary.txt
+          cat bench_summary.txt
 
       - name: Comment PR
         uses: actions/github-script@v9
@@ -44,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
           github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           script: |
             const fs = require('fs');
-            const output = fs.readFileSync('bench_output.txt', 'utf8');
+            const output = fs.readFileSync('bench_summary.txt', 'utf8');
 
             const body = `## Benchmark Results
 
diff --git a/benches/flatten.rs b/benches/flatten.rs
index 089116d..fa23a12 100644
--- a/benches/flatten.rs
+++ b/benches/flatten.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // smooth-json/benches/flatten.rs
-use criterion::{black_box, criterion_group, criterion_main, BenchmarkId, Criterion, Throughput};
-use serde_json::{json, Map, Value};
+use criterion::{BenchmarkId, Criterion, Throughput, black_box, criterion_group, criterion_main};
+use serde_json::{Map, Value, json};
 use smooth_json::Flattener;
 
 /// Build a nested object of the given depth and breadth. Example shape:
@@ -60,15 +60,19 @@ fn bench_flatten_inputs(c: &mut Criterion) {
         });
 
         // alt_array_flattening = true
-        group.bench_with_input(BenchmarkId::new("alt_array_flattening", name), &input, |b, v| {
-            let fl = Flattener {
-                alt_array_flattening: true,
-                ..Default::default()
-            };
-            b.iter(|| {
-                let _ = fl.flatten(black_box(v));
-            })
-        });
+        group.bench_with_input(
+            BenchmarkId::new("alt_array_flattening", name),
+            &input,
+            |b, v| {
+                let fl = Flattener {
+                    alt_array_flattening: true,
+                    ..Default::default()
+                };
+                b.iter(|| {
+                    let _ = fl.flatten(black_box(v));
+                })
+            },
+        );
     }
 
     group.finish();
@@ -94,19 +98,23 @@ fn bench_collision_cases(c: &mut Criterion) {
         });
 
         // With alt_array_flattening enabled (different aggregation behavior)
-        group.bench_with_input(BenchmarkId::new("collisions_alt_flatten", n), &input, |b, v| {
-            let fl = Flattener {
-                alt_array_flattening: true,
-                ..Default::default()
-            };
-            b.iter(|| {
-                let _ = fl.flatten(black_box(v));
-            })
-        });
+        group.bench_with_input(
+            BenchmarkId::new("collisions_alt_flatten", n),
+            &input,
+            |b, v| {
+                let fl = Flattener {
+                    alt_array_flattening: true,
+                    ..Default::default()
+                };
+                b.iter(|| {
+                    let _ = fl.flatten(black_box(v));
+                })
+            },
+        );
     }
 
     group.finish();
 }
 
 criterion_group!(benches, bench_flatten_inputs, bench_collision_cases);
-criterion_main!(benches);
\ No newline at end of file
+criterion_main!(benches);
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index becdf67..26949ac 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
 //! use smooth_json::Flattener;
 //! ```
 
-use serde_json::json;
 use serde_json::Map;
 use serde_json::Value;
+use serde_json::json;
 
 /// Flattener is the main driver when flattening JSON
 /// # Examples
@@ -95,7 +95,11 @@ impl<'a> Flattener<'a> {
     ///
     /// A formatted key string with the separator inserted between prefix and suffix.
     fn build_key(&self, prefix: &str, suffix: &str) -> String {
-        format!("{prefix}{}{suffix}", self.separator)
+        let mut key = String::with_capacity(prefix.len() + self.separator.len() + suffix.len());
+        key.push_str(prefix);
+        key.push_str(self.separator);
+        key.push_str(suffix);
+        key
     }
 
     /// Flattens JSON variants into a JSON object
@@ -161,8 +165,18 @@ impl<'a> Flattener<'a> {
     }
 
     fn flatten_array(&self, builder: &mut Map<String, Value>, identifier: &str, obj: &[Value]) {
+        // Empty arrays should be preserved, instead of being omitted
+        if obj.is_empty() {
+            builder.insert(identifier.to_string(), Value::Array(vec![]));
+            return;
+        }
+
+        use std::fmt::Write;
+        let mut index_buf = String::new();
+
         for (k, v) in obj.iter().enumerate() {
-            let with_key = self.build_key(identifier, &k.to_string());
+            write!(&mut index_buf, "{}", k).unwrap();
+            let with_key = self.build_key(identifier, &index_buf);
             let current_identifier = if self.preserve_arrays {
                 with_key.as_str()
             } else {
@@ -179,6 +193,8 @@ impl<'a> Flattener<'a> {
                 Value::Array(obj_arr) => self.flatten_array(builder, current_identifier, obj_arr),
                 _ => self.flatten_value(builder, current_identifier, v, self.alt_array_flattening),
             }
+
+            index_buf.clear();
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/integration_test.rs b/tests/integration_test.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b956d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration_test.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+use serde_json::json;
+use smooth_json::Flattener;
+
+#[test]
+fn basic_user_profile() {
+    let flattener = Flattener::new();
+
+    let user_profile = json!({
+        "id": 12345,
+        "username": "johndoe",
+        "email": "john@example.com",
+        "profile": {
+            "first_name": "John",
+            "last_name": "Doe",
+            "age": 30
+        },
+        "preferences": {
+            "theme": "dark",
+            "notifications": {
+                "email": true,
+                "push": false
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    let flattened = flattener.flatten(&user_profile);
+
+    assert_eq!(flattened["id"], 12345);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["username"], "johndoe");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["email"], "john@example.com");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["profile.first_name"], "John");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["profile.last_name"], "Doe");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["profile.age"], 30);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["preferences.theme"], "dark");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["preferences.notifications.email"], true);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["preferences.notifications.push"], false);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn github_api_issue_response() {
+    let flattener = Flattener::new();
+
+    let issue = json!({
+        "id": 1,
+        "number": 42,
+        "title": "Found a bug",
+        "state": "open",
+        "user": {
+            "login": "octocat",
+            "id": 1,
+            "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif"
+        },
+        "labels": [
+            {"id": 1, "name": "bug", "color": "d73a4a"},
+            {"id": 2, "name": "enhancement", "color": "a2eeef"}
+        ],
+        "assignees": []
+    });
+
+    let flattened = flattener.flatten(&issue);
+
+    assert_eq!(flattened["id"], 1);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["number"], 42);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["title"], "Found a bug");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["state"], "open");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["user.login"], "octocat");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["user.id"], 1);
+    assert_eq!(
+        flattened["user.avatar_url"],
+        "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif"
+    );
+
+    // Labels should be flattened into arrays
+    assert!(flattened["labels.id"].is_array());
+    assert_eq!(flattened["labels.id"][0], 1);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["labels.id"][1], 2);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["labels.name"][0], "bug");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["labels.name"][1], "enhancement");
+
+    // Empty arrays should be preserved when flattening
+    assert!(flattened["assignees"].is_array());
+    assert_eq!(flattened["assignees"].as_array().unwrap().len(), 0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn log_entry_with_metadata() {
+    let flattener = Flattener::new();
+
+    let log_entry = json!({
+        "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
+        "level": "ERROR",
+        "message": "Database connection failed",
+        "context": {
+            "service": "api-gateway",
+            "environment": "production",
+            "region": "us-east-1",
+            "error": {
+                "type": "ConnectionError",
+                "code": 500,
+                "details": "Connection timeout after 30s"
+            }
+        },
+        "tags": ["database", "critical"]
+    });
+
+    let flattened = flattener.flatten(&log_entry);
+
+    assert_eq!(flattened["timestamp"], "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["level"], "ERROR");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["message"], "Database connection failed");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["context.service"], "api-gateway");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["context.environment"], "production");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["context.region"], "us-east-1");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["context.error.type"], "ConnectionError");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["context.error.code"], 500);
+    assert_eq!(
+        flattened["context.error.details"],
+        "Connection timeout after 30s"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(flattened["tags"][0], "database");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["tags"][1], "critical");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn custom_separator_integration() {
+    let flattener = Flattener {
+        separator: "_",
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+
+    let data = json!({
+        "user": {
+            "profile": {
+                "name": "Alice"
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    let flattened = flattener.flatten(&data);
+
+    assert_eq!(flattened["user_profile_name"], "Alice");
+    assert!(flattened.get("user.profile.name").is_none());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn preserve_arrays_integration() {
+    let flattener = Flattener {
+        preserve_arrays: true,
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+
+    let data = json!({
+        "items": [
+            {"id": 1, "name": "First"},
+            {"id": 2, "name": "Second"}
+        ]
+    });
+
+    let flattened = flattener.flatten(&data);
+
+    assert_eq!(flattened["items.0.id"], 1);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["items.0.name"], "First");
+    assert_eq!(flattened["items.1.id"], 2);
+    assert_eq!(flattened["items.1.name"], "Second");
+}