diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/EntityRepository.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/EntityRepository.php
index 2b2bee7ac..9760a1c42 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/EntityRepository.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/EntityRepository.php
@@ -204,8 +204,7 @@ class EntityRepository implements ObjectRepository
             );
         }
 
-        if ( !isset($arguments[0])) {
-            // we dont even want to allow null at this point, because we cannot (yet) transform it into IS NULL.
+        if (empty($arguments)) {
             throw ORMException::findByRequiresParameter($method.$by);
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/CMS/CmsUser.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/CMS/CmsUser.php
index 0c7b007d1..3296fffc8 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/CMS/CmsUser.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/CMS/CmsUser.php
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class CmsUser
      */
     public $id;
     /**
-     * @Column(type="string", length=50)
+     * @Column(type="string", length=50, nullable=true)
      */
     public $status;
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/EntityRepositoryTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/EntityRepositoryTest.php
index c5216fb94..4f8e11420 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/EntityRepositoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/EntityRepositoryTest.php
@@ -38,18 +38,25 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $user2->status = 'dev';
         $this->_em->persist($user2);
 
+        $user3 = new CmsUser;
+        $user3->name = 'Benjamin';
+        $user3->username = 'beberlei';
+        $user3->status = null;
+        $this->_em->persist($user3);
+
         $this->_em->flush();
-        
+
         $user1Id = $user->getId();
-        
+
         unset($user);
         unset($user2);
-        
+        unset($user3);
+
         $this->_em->clear();
 
         return $user1Id;
     }
-    
+
     public function loadAssociatedFixture()
     {
         $address = new CmsAddress();
@@ -189,7 +196,7 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $repos = $this->_em->getRepository('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser');
 
         $users = $repos->findAll();
-        $this->assertEquals(2, count($users));
+        $this->assertEquals(3, count($users));
     }
 
     public function testFindByAlias()
@@ -202,7 +209,7 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $repos = $this->_em->getRepository('CMS:CmsUser');
 
         $users = $repos->findAll();
-        $this->assertEquals(2, count($users));
+        $this->assertEquals(3, count($users));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -284,10 +291,11 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
     public function testFindMagicCallByNullValue()
     {
         $this->loadFixture();
+
         $repos = $this->_em->getRepository('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser');
 
-        $this->setExpectedException('Doctrine\ORM\ORMException');
         $users = $repos->findByStatus(null);
+        $this->assertEquals(1, count($users));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -389,7 +397,7 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
     /**
      * @group DDC-1087
      */
-    public function testIsNullCriteria()
+    public function testIsNullCriteriaDoesNotGenerateAParameter()
     {
         $repos = $this->_em->getRepository('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser');
         $users = $repos->findBy(array('status' => null, 'username' => 'romanb'));
@@ -399,6 +407,16 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $this->assertEquals(array('romanb'), $params);
     }
 
+    public function testIsNullCriteria()
+    {
+        $this->loadFixture();
+
+        $repos = $this->_em->getRepository('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser');
+
+        $users = $repos->findBy(array('status' => null));
+        $this->assertEquals(1, count($users));
+    }
+
     /**
      * @group DDC-1094
      */
@@ -411,7 +429,7 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $users1 = $repos->findBy(array(), null, 1, 0);
         $users2 = $repos->findBy(array(), null, 1, 1);
 
-        $this->assertEquals(2, count($repos->findBy(array())));
+        $this->assertEquals(3, count($repos->findBy(array())));
         $this->assertEquals(1, count($users1));
         $this->assertEquals(1, count($users2));
         $this->assertNotSame($users1[0], $users2[0]);
@@ -428,10 +446,10 @@ class EntityRepositoryTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $usersAsc = $repos->findBy(array(), array("username" => "ASC"));
         $usersDesc = $repos->findBy(array(), array("username" => "DESC"));
 
-        $this->assertEquals(2, count($usersAsc), "Pre-condition: only two users in fixture");
-        $this->assertEquals(2, count($usersDesc), "Pre-condition: only two users in fixture");
-        $this->assertSame($usersAsc[0], $usersDesc[1]);
-        $this->assertSame($usersAsc[1], $usersDesc[0]);
+        $this->assertEquals(3, count($usersAsc), "Pre-condition: only three users in fixture");
+        $this->assertEquals(3, count($usersDesc), "Pre-condition: only three users in fixture");
+        $this->assertSame($usersAsc[0], $usersDesc[2]);
+        $this->assertSame($usersAsc[2], $usersDesc[0]);
     }