diff --git a/storage/src/mozStorageStatement.cpp b/storage/src/mozStorageStatement.cpp
index 3a6abd905cc3..99763239e7ef 100644
--- a/storage/src/mozStorageStatement.cpp
+++ b/storage/src/mozStorageStatement.cpp
@@ -602,10 +602,18 @@ mozStorageStatement::GetUTF8String(PRUint32 aIndex, nsACString & _retval)
     if (!mExecuting)
         return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
 
-    int slen = sqlite3_column_bytes (mDBStatement, aIndex);
-    const unsigned char *cstr = sqlite3_column_text (mDBStatement, aIndex);
-    _retval.Assign ((char *) cstr, slen);
-
+    PRInt32 t;
+    nsresult rv = GetTypeOfIndex (aIndex, &t);
+    NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+    if (t == VALUE_TYPE_NULL) {
+        // null columns get IsVoid set to distinguish them from empty strings
+        _retval.Truncate(0);
+        _retval.SetIsVoid(PR_TRUE);
+    } else {
+        int slen = sqlite3_column_bytes (mDBStatement, aIndex);
+        const unsigned char *cstr = sqlite3_column_text (mDBStatement, aIndex);
+        _retval.Assign ((char *) cstr, slen);
+    }
     return NS_OK;
 }
 
@@ -617,11 +625,19 @@ mozStorageStatement::GetString(PRUint32 aIndex, nsAString & _retval)
     if (!mExecuting)
         return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
 
-    int slen = sqlite3_column_bytes16 (mDBStatement, aIndex);
-    const void *text = sqlite3_column_text16 (mDBStatement, aIndex);
-    const PRUnichar *wstr = NS_STATIC_CAST(const PRUnichar *, text);
-    _retval.Assign (wstr, slen/2);
-
+    PRInt32 t;
+    nsresult rv = GetTypeOfIndex (aIndex, &t);
+    NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+    if (t == VALUE_TYPE_NULL) {
+        // null columns get IsVoid set to distinguish them from empty strings
+        _retval.Truncate(0);
+        _retval.SetIsVoid(PR_TRUE);
+    } else {
+        int slen = sqlite3_column_bytes16 (mDBStatement, aIndex);
+        const void *text = sqlite3_column_text16 (mDBStatement, aIndex);
+        const PRUnichar *wstr = NS_STATIC_CAST(const PRUnichar *, text);
+        _retval.Assign (wstr, slen/2);
+    }
     return NS_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/storage/src/mozStorageValueArray.cpp b/storage/src/mozStorageValueArray.cpp
index a42aca32db12..b34fdf5c8d7a 100644
--- a/storage/src/mozStorageValueArray.cpp
+++ b/storage/src/mozStorageValueArray.cpp
@@ -134,10 +134,18 @@ mozStorageStatementRowValueArray::GetUTF8String(PRUint32 aIndex, nsACString &_re
 {
     NS_ASSERTION (aIndex < mNumEntries, "aIndex out of range");
 
-    PRUint32 slen = (PRUint32) sqlite3_column_bytes (mSqliteStatement, aIndex);
-    const char *cstr = (const char *) sqlite3_column_text (mSqliteStatement, aIndex);
-    _retval.Assign(cstr, slen);
-
+    PRInt32 type;
+    nsresult rv = GetTypeOfIndex (aIndex, &type);
+    NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+    if (type == SQLITE_NULL) {
+        // null columns get IsVoid set to distinguish them from empty strings
+        _retval.Truncate(0);
+        _retval.SetIsVoid(PR_TRUE);
+    } else {
+        PRUint32 slen = (PRUint32) sqlite3_column_bytes (mSqliteStatement, aIndex);
+        const char *cstr = (const char *) sqlite3_column_text (mSqliteStatement, aIndex);
+        _retval.Assign(cstr, slen);
+    }
     return NS_OK;
 }
 
@@ -146,10 +154,18 @@ mozStorageStatementRowValueArray::GetString(PRUint32 aIndex, nsAString & _retval
 {
     NS_ASSERTION (aIndex < mNumEntries, "aIndex out of range");
 
-    int slen = sqlite3_column_bytes16 (mSqliteStatement, aIndex);
-    const PRUnichar *wstr = (const PRUnichar *) sqlite3_column_text16 (mSqliteStatement, aIndex);
-    _retval.Assign (wstr, slen/2);
-
+    PRInt32 type;
+    nsresult rv = GetTypeOfIndex (aIndex, &type);
+    NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+    if (type == SQLITE_NULL) {
+        // null columns get IsVoid set to distinguish them from empty strings
+        _retval.Truncate(0);
+        _retval.SetIsVoid(PR_TRUE);
+    } else {
+        int slen = sqlite3_column_bytes16 (mSqliteStatement, aIndex);
+        const PRUnichar *wstr = (const PRUnichar *) sqlite3_column_text16 (mSqliteStatement, aIndex);
+        _retval.Assign (wstr, slen/2);
+    }
     return NS_OK;
 }
 
@@ -312,10 +328,15 @@ mozStorageArgvValueArray::GetUTF8String(PRUint32 aIndex, nsACString & _retval)
 {
     NS_ASSERTION (aIndex < mArgc, "aIndex out of range");
 
-    int slen = sqlite3_value_bytes (mArgv[aIndex]);
-    const unsigned char *cstr = sqlite3_value_text (mArgv[aIndex]);
-    _retval.Assign ((char *) cstr, slen);
-
+    if (sqlite3_value_type (mArgv[aIndex]) == SQLITE_NULL) {
+        // null columns get IsVoid set to distinguish them from empty strings
+        _retval.Truncate(0);
+        _retval.SetIsVoid(PR_TRUE);
+    } else {
+        int slen = sqlite3_value_bytes (mArgv[aIndex]);
+        const unsigned char *cstr = sqlite3_value_text (mArgv[aIndex]);
+        _retval.Assign ((char *) cstr, slen);
+    }
     return NS_OK;
 }
 
@@ -324,10 +345,15 @@ mozStorageArgvValueArray::GetString(PRUint32 aIndex, nsAString & _retval)
 {
     NS_ASSERTION (aIndex < mArgc, "aIndex out of range");
 
-    int slen = sqlite3_value_bytes16 (mArgv[aIndex]);
-    const PRUnichar *wstr = (const PRUnichar *) sqlite3_value_text16 (mArgv[aIndex]);
-    _retval.Assign (wstr, slen);
-
+    if (sqlite3_value_type (mArgv[aIndex]) == SQLITE_NULL) {
+        // null columns get IsVoid set to distinguish them from empty strings
+        _retval.Truncate(0);
+        _retval.SetIsVoid(PR_TRUE);
+    } else {
+        int slen = sqlite3_value_bytes16 (mArgv[aIndex]);
+        const PRUnichar *wstr = (const PRUnichar *) sqlite3_value_text16 (mArgv[aIndex]);
+        _retval.Assign (wstr, slen);
+    }
     return NS_OK;
 }