diff --git a/IPython/zmq/tests/test_serialize.py b/IPython/zmq/tests/test_serialize.py
index c1e0429..2a1a33a 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/tests/test_serialize.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/tests/test_serialize.py
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ from IPython.zmq.serialize import serialize_object, unserialize_object
 from IPython.testing import decorators as dec
 from IPython.utils.pickleutil import CannedArray
 
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Globals and Utilities
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 def roundtrip(obj):
     """roundtrip an object through serialization"""
     bufs = serialize_object(obj)
@@ -34,6 +38,12 @@ class C(object):
         for key,value in kwargs.iteritems():
             setattr(self, key, value)
 
+SHAPES = ((100,), (1024,10), (10,8,6,5), (), (0,))
+DTYPES = ('uint8', 'float64', 'int32', [('g', 'float32')], '|S10')
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 @dec.parametric
 def test_roundtrip_simple():
     for obj in [
@@ -67,17 +77,54 @@ def test_roundtrip_buffered():
         yield nt.assert_equals(remainder, [])
         yield nt.assert_equals(obj, obj2)
 
+def _scrub_nan(A):
+    """scrub nans out of empty arrays
+    
+    since nan != nan
+    """
+    import numpy
+    if A.dtype.fields and A.shape:
+        for field in A.dtype.fields.keys():
+            try:
+                A[field][numpy.isnan(A[field])] = 0
+            except TypeError:
+                # e.g. str dtype
+                pass
+
 @dec.parametric
 @dec.skip_without('numpy')
 def test_numpy():
     import numpy
     from numpy.testing.utils import assert_array_equal
-    for shape in ((), (0,), (100,), (1024,10), (10,8,6,5)):
-        for dtype in ('uint8', 'float64', 'int32', [('int16', 'float32')]):
+    for shape in SHAPES:
+        for dtype in DTYPES:
+            A = numpy.empty(shape, dtype=dtype)
+            _scrub_nan(A)
+            bufs = serialize_object(A)
+            B, r = unserialize_object(bufs)
+            yield nt.assert_equals(r, [])
+            yield nt.assert_equals(A.shape, B.shape)
+            yield nt.assert_equals(A.dtype, B.dtype)
+            yield assert_array_equal(A,B)
+
+@dec.parametric
+@dec.skip_without('numpy')
+def test_recarray():
+    import numpy
+    from numpy.testing.utils import assert_array_equal
+    for shape in SHAPES:
+        for dtype in [
+            [('f', float), ('s', '|S10')],
+            [('n', int), ('s', '|S1'), ('u', 'uint32')],
+        ]:
             A = numpy.empty(shape, dtype=dtype)
+            _scrub_nan(A)
+            
             bufs = serialize_object(A)
             B, r = unserialize_object(bufs)
             yield nt.assert_equals(r, [])
+            yield nt.assert_equals(A.shape, B.shape)
+            yield nt.assert_equals(A.dtype, B.dtype)
             yield assert_array_equal(A,B)
 
 @dec.parametric
@@ -85,15 +132,18 @@ def test_numpy():
 def test_numpy_in_seq():
     import numpy
     from numpy.testing.utils import assert_array_equal
-    for shape in ((), (0,), (100,), (1024,10), (10,8,6,5)):
-        for dtype in ('uint8', 'float64', 'int32', [('int16', 'float32')]):
+    for shape in SHAPES:
+        for dtype in DTYPES:
             A = numpy.empty(shape, dtype=dtype)
+            _scrub_nan(A)
             bufs = serialize_object((A,1,2,b'hello'))
             canned = pickle.loads(bufs[0])
             yield nt.assert_true(canned[0], CannedArray)
             tup, r = unserialize_object(bufs)
             B = tup[0]
             yield nt.assert_equals(r, [])
+            yield nt.assert_equals(A.shape, B.shape)
+            yield nt.assert_equals(A.dtype, B.dtype)
             yield assert_array_equal(A,B)
 
 @dec.parametric
@@ -101,15 +151,18 @@ def test_numpy_in_seq():
 def test_numpy_in_dict():
     import numpy
     from numpy.testing.utils import assert_array_equal
-    for shape in ((), (0,), (100,), (1024,10), (10,8,6,5)):
-        for dtype in ('uint8', 'float64', 'int32', [('int16', 'float32')]):
+    for shape in SHAPES:
+        for dtype in DTYPES:
             A = numpy.empty(shape, dtype=dtype)
+            _scrub_nan(A)
             bufs = serialize_object(dict(a=A,b=1,c=range(20)))
             canned = pickle.loads(bufs[0])
             yield nt.assert_true(canned['a'], CannedArray)
             d, r = unserialize_object(bufs)
             B = d['a']
             yield nt.assert_equals(r, [])
+            yield nt.assert_equals(A.shape, B.shape)
+            yield nt.assert_equals(A.dtype, B.dtype)
             yield assert_array_equal(A,B)