diff --git a/binary/reflect.go b/binary/reflect.go
index 25cf730c..a9702546 100644
--- a/binary/reflect.go
+++ b/binary/reflect.go
@@ -447,6 +447,9 @@ func writeReflectBinary(rv reflect.Value, rt reflect.Type, opts Options, w io.Wr
 		rv, rt = rv.Elem(), rt.Elem()
 		typeInfo = GetTypeInfo(rt)
 		if !rv.IsValid() {
+			// For better compatibility with other languages,
+			// as far as tendermint/binary is concerned,
+			// pointers to nil values are the same as nil.
 			WriteByte(0x00, w, n, err)
 			return
 		}
@@ -845,6 +848,9 @@ func writeReflectJSON(rv reflect.Value, rt reflect.Type, w io.Writer, n *int64,
 		rv, rt = rv.Elem(), rt.Elem()
 		typeInfo = GetTypeInfo(rt)
 		if !rv.IsValid() {
+			// For better compatibility with other languages,
+			// as far as tendermint/binary is concerned,
+			// pointers to nil values are the same as nil.
 			WriteTo([]byte("null"), w, n, err)
 			return
 		}