diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index afd83414..d429a151 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectFunc(sql string, onDataRow func(*messageReader, []fie
 	panic("Unreachable")
 }
 
+// Null values are not included in rows. However, because maps return the 0 value
+// for missing values this flattens nulls to empty string. If the caller needs to
+// distinguish between a real empty string and a null it can use the comma ok
+// pattern when accessing the map
 func (c *Connection) SelectRows(sql string) (rows []map[string]string, err error) {
 	rows = make([]map[string]string, 0, 8)
 	onDataRow := func(r *messageReader, fields []fieldDescription) error {
@@ -140,7 +144,11 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectRows(sql string) (rows []map[string]string, err error
 
 func (c *Connection) SelectString(sql string) (s string, err error) {
 	onDataRow := func(r *messageReader, _ []fieldDescription) error {
-		s = c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+		var null bool
+		s, null = c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+		if null {
+			return errors.New("Unexpected NULL")
+		}
 		return nil
 	}
 	err = c.SelectFunc(sql, onDataRow)
@@ -201,7 +209,11 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectFloat32(sql string) (f float32, err error) {
 func (c *Connection) SelectAllString(sql string) (strings []string, err error) {
 	strings = make([]string, 0, 8)
 	onDataRow := func(r *messageReader, _ []fieldDescription) error {
-		strings = append(strings, c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r))
+		s, null := c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+		if null {
+			return errors.New("Unexpected NULL")
+		}
+		strings = append(strings, s)
 		return nil
 	}
 	err = c.SelectFunc(sql, onDataRow)
@@ -211,8 +223,12 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectAllString(sql string) (strings []string, err error) {
 func (c *Connection) SelectAllInt64(sql string) (ints []int64, err error) {
 	ints = make([]int64, 0, 8)
 	onDataRow := func(r *messageReader, _ []fieldDescription) (parseError error) {
+		s, null := c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+		if null {
+			return errors.New("Unexpected NULL")
+		}
 		var i int64
-		i, parseError = strconv.ParseInt(c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r), 10, 64)
+		i, parseError = strconv.ParseInt(s, 10, 64)
 		ints = append(ints, i)
 		return
 	}
@@ -223,8 +239,12 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectAllInt64(sql string) (ints []int64, err error) {
 func (c *Connection) SelectAllInt32(sql string) (ints []int32, err error) {
 	ints = make([]int32, 0, 8)
 	onDataRow := func(r *messageReader, fields []fieldDescription) (parseError error) {
+		s, null := c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+		if null {
+			return errors.New("Unexpected NULL")
+		}
 		var i int64
-		i, parseError = strconv.ParseInt(c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r), 10, 32)
+		i, parseError = strconv.ParseInt(s, 10, 32)
 		ints = append(ints, int32(i))
 		return
 	}
@@ -235,8 +255,12 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectAllInt32(sql string) (ints []int32, err error) {
 func (c *Connection) SelectAllInt16(sql string) (ints []int16, err error) {
 	ints = make([]int16, 0, 8)
 	onDataRow := func(r *messageReader, _ []fieldDescription) (parseError error) {
+		s, null := c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+		if null {
+			return errors.New("Unexpected NULL")
+		}
 		var i int64
-		i, parseError = strconv.ParseInt(c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r), 10, 16)
+		i, parseError = strconv.ParseInt(s, 10, 16)
 		ints = append(ints, int16(i))
 		return
 	}
@@ -247,8 +271,12 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectAllInt16(sql string) (ints []int16, err error) {
 func (c *Connection) SelectAllFloat64(sql string) (floats []float64, err error) {
 	floats = make([]float64, 0, 8)
 	onDataRow := func(r *messageReader, _ []fieldDescription) (parseError error) {
+		s, null := c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+		if null {
+			return errors.New("Unexpected NULL")
+		}
 		var f float64
-		f, parseError = strconv.ParseFloat(c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r), 64)
+		f, parseError = strconv.ParseFloat(s, 64)
 		floats = append(floats, f)
 		return
 	}
@@ -259,8 +287,12 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectAllFloat64(sql string) (floats []float64, err error)
 func (c *Connection) SelectAllFloat32(sql string) (floats []float32, err error) {
 	floats = make([]float32, 0, 8)
 	onDataRow := func(r *messageReader, _ []fieldDescription) (parseError error) {
+		s, null := c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+		if null {
+			return errors.New("Unexpected NULL")
+		}
 		var f float64
-		f, parseError = strconv.ParseFloat(c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r), 32)
+		f, parseError = strconv.ParseFloat(s, 32)
 		floats = append(floats, float32(f))
 		return
 	}
@@ -440,20 +472,25 @@ func (c *Connection) rxDataRow(r *messageReader, fields []fieldDescription) (row
 
 	row = make(map[string]string, fieldCount)
 	for i := int16(0); i < fieldCount; i++ {
-		// TODO - handle nulls
 		size := r.readInt32()
-		row[fields[i].name] = r.readByteString(size)
+		if size > -1 {
+			row[fields[i].name] = r.readByteString(size)
+		}
 	}
 	return
 }
 
-func (c *Connection) rxDataRowFirstValue(r *messageReader) (s string) {
+func (c *Connection) rxDataRowFirstValue(r *messageReader) (s string, null bool) {
 	r.readInt16() // ignore field count
 
-	// TODO - handle nulls
 	size := r.readInt32()
-	s = r.readByteString(size)
-	return s
+	if size > -1 {
+		s = r.readByteString(size)
+	} else {
+		null = true
+	}
+
+	return
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) rxCommandComplete(r *messageReader) string {
diff --git a/conn_test.go b/conn_test.go
index 60b67663..bf6279f6 100644
--- a/conn_test.go
+++ b/conn_test.go
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func TestSelectFunc(t *testing.T) {
 func TestSelectRows(t *testing.T) {
 	conn := getSharedConnection()
 
-	rows, err := conn.SelectRows("select 'Jack' as name")
+	rows, err := conn.SelectRows("select 'Jack' as name, null as position")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("Query failed")
 	}
@@ -146,7 +146,15 @@ func TestSelectRows(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	if rows[0]["name"] != "Jack" {
-		t.Fatal("Received incorrect name")
+		t.Error("Received incorrect name")
+	}
+
+	value, presence := rows[0]["position"]
+	if value != "" {
+		t.Error("Should have received empty string for null")
+	}
+	if presence != false {
+		t.Error("Null value shouldn't have been present in map")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -155,11 +163,14 @@ func TestSelectString(t *testing.T) {
 
 	s, err := conn.SelectString("select 'foo'")
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal("Unable to select string: " + err.Error())
+		t.Error("Unable to select string: " + err.Error())
+	} else if s != "foo" {
+		t.Error("Received incorrect string")
 	}
 
-	if s != "foo" {
-		t.Error("Received incorrect string")
+	_, err = conn.SelectString("select null")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -184,6 +195,11 @@ func TestSelectInt64(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
 		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int64")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectInt64("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectInt32(t *testing.T) {
@@ -207,6 +223,11 @@ func TestSelectInt32(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
 		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int32")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectInt32("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectInt16(t *testing.T) {
@@ -230,6 +251,11 @@ func TestSelectInt16(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
 		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int16")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectInt16("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectFloat64(t *testing.T) {
@@ -243,6 +269,11 @@ func TestSelectFloat64(t *testing.T) {
 	if f != 1.23 {
 		t.Error("Received incorrect float64")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectFloat64("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectFloat32(t *testing.T) {
@@ -256,6 +287,11 @@ func TestSelectFloat32(t *testing.T) {
 	if f != 1.23 {
 		t.Error("Received incorrect float32")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectFloat32("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectAllString(t *testing.T) {
@@ -269,6 +305,11 @@ func TestSelectAllString(t *testing.T) {
 	if s[0] != "Matthew" || s[1] != "Mark" || s[2] != "Luke" || s[3] != "John" {
 		t.Error("Received incorrect strings")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectAllString("select * from (values ('Matthew'), (null)) t")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectAllInt64(t *testing.T) {
@@ -292,6 +333,11 @@ func TestSelectAllInt64(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
 		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int64")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectAllInt64("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectAllInt32(t *testing.T) {
@@ -315,6 +361,11 @@ func TestSelectAllInt32(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
 		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int32")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectAllInt32("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectAllInt16(t *testing.T) {
@@ -338,6 +389,11 @@ func TestSelectAllInt16(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
 		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int16")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectAllInt16("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectAllFloat64(t *testing.T) {
@@ -351,6 +407,11 @@ func TestSelectAllFloat64(t *testing.T) {
 	if f[0] != 1.23 || f[1] != 4.56 {
 		t.Error("Received incorrect float64")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectAllFloat64("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSelectAllFloat32(t *testing.T) {
@@ -364,4 +425,9 @@ func TestSelectAllFloat32(t *testing.T) {
 	if f[0] != 1.23 || f[1] != 4.56 {
 		t.Error("Received incorrect float32")
 	}
+
+	_, err = conn.SelectAllFloat32("select null")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "NULL") {
+		t.Error("Should have received error on null")
+	}
 }