diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/converter/DateConverter.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/converter/DateConverter.java
index 2339fe874e318dbe8f776eb1f86265285d96e3ac..23cbd5467ffd6512927825551abc04845b2cf948 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/converter/DateConverter.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/converter/DateConverter.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public final class DateConverter implements Converter<Date>
     public DateConverter(String datePattern)
     {
         assert datePattern != null;
-        
+
         this.dateFormat = createDateFormat(datePattern);
     }
 
@@ -60,18 +60,22 @@ public final class DateConverter implements Converter<Date>
     /**
      * Converts given <code>value</code> to a <code>Date</code>.
      * <p>
-     * Return {@link #getDefaultValue()} if no date pattern has been defined or if a <code>ParseException</code>
-     * occurs.
+     * Return <code>null</code> if a <code>ParseException</code> occurs or if given <var>value</var> is
+     * <code>null</code>.
      * </p>
      */
     public final Date convert(String value)
     {
+        if (value == null)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
         try
         {
             return dateFormat.parse(value);
         } catch (ParseException ex)
         {
-            return getDefaultValue();
+            return null;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/converter/DateConverterTest.java b/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/converter/DateConverterTest.java
index 8ce6c7543c94beb9f4d0001eabac6997fe113cc7..f250dbd7fb09e5e094aad30ce0970389be339dc1 100644
--- a/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/converter/DateConverterTest.java
+++ b/common/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/converter/DateConverterTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import java.util.Date;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang.time.DateUtils;
 import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+import static org.testng.AssertJUnit.*;
 
 /**
  * Test cases for the {@link DateConverter}.
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ import org.testng.annotations.Test;
  */
 public final class DateConverterTest
 {
-    
+
     @Test(expectedExceptions =
         { AssertionError.class })
     public final void testConstructor()
@@ -56,18 +57,19 @@ public final class DateConverterTest
         Calendar birthday = Calendar.getInstance();
         birthday.setTime(date);
         assert DateUtils.isSameDay(calendar, birthday);
+        assertNull(converter.convert("notParsableDate"));
+        assertNull(converter.convert(null));
+        assertNull(converter.convert(""));
     }
-    
+
     @Test
-    public final void testGetDefault() {
+    public final void testGetDefault()
+    {
         // Explicit call to <code>getDefaultValue()</code>
         Calendar today = Calendar.getInstance();
         DateConverter converter = new DateConverter("dd.MM.yyyy");
         Calendar result = Calendar.getInstance();
         result.setTime(converter.getDefaultValue());
         assert DateUtils.isSameDay(today, result);
-        // Implicit call to <code>getDefaultValue()</code>
-        result.setTime(converter.convert("notParsableDate"));
-        assert DateUtils.isSameDay(today, result);
     }
 }
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