diff --git a/libsecret/secret-value.c b/libsecret/secret-value.c
index a6fc5b8..cbfdf6b 100644
--- a/libsecret/secret-value.c
+++ b/libsecret/secret-value.c
@@ -97,14 +97,15 @@ secret_value_new (const gchar *secret,
 {
 	gchar *copy;
 
-	g_return_val_if_fail (secret == NULL || length != 0, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (length == 0 || secret != NULL, NULL);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (content_type, NULL);
 
 	if (length < 0)
 		length = strlen (secret);
 
 	copy = egg_secure_alloc (length + 1);
-	memcpy (copy, secret, length);
+	if (secret)
+		memcpy (copy, secret, length);
 	copy[length] = 0;
 	return secret_value_new_full (copy, length, content_type, egg_secure_free);
 }
@@ -132,7 +133,6 @@ secret_value_new_full (gchar *secret,
 {
 	SecretValue *value;
 
-	g_return_val_if_fail (secret == NULL || length != 0, NULL);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (content_type, NULL);
 
 	if (length < 0)
diff --git a/libsecret/tests/test-value.c b/libsecret/tests/test-value.c
index ceb2448..5578aef 100644
--- a/libsecret/tests/test-value.c
+++ b/libsecret/tests/test-value.c
@@ -94,6 +94,28 @@ test_new_full_terminated (void)
 	secret_value_unref (value);
 }
 
+static void
+test_new_empty (void)
+{
+	SecretValue *value;
+	const gchar *password;
+	gsize length;
+
+	value = secret_value_new (NULL, 0, "text/plain");
+	g_assert (value != NULL);
+	password = secret_value_get (value, &length);
+	g_assert_cmpuint (length, ==, 0);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (password, ==, "");
+	secret_value_unref (value);
+
+	value = secret_value_new ("", 0, "text/plain");
+	g_assert (value != NULL);
+	password = secret_value_get (value, &length);
+	g_assert_cmpuint (length, ==, 0);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (password, ==, "");
+	secret_value_unref (value);
+}
+
 static void
 test_ref_unref (void)
 {
@@ -202,6 +224,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 	g_test_add_func ("/value/new-terminated", test_new_terminated);
 	g_test_add_func ("/value/new-full", test_new_full);
 	g_test_add_func ("/value/new-full-terminated", test_new_full_terminated);
+	g_test_add_func ("/value/new-empty", test_new_empty);
 	g_test_add_func ("/value/ref-unref", test_ref_unref);
 	g_test_add_func ("/value/boxed", test_boxed);
 	g_test_add_func ("/value/to-password", test_to_password);