diff --git a/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
index 2f5e24e28..6922c98ba 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class ProjectsController < ApplicationController
       @custom_values = ProjectCustomField.find(:all).collect { |x| CustomValue.new(:custom_field => x, :customized => @project) }
     else
       @project.custom_fields = CustomField.find(params[:custom_field_ids]) if params[:custom_field_ids]
-      @custom_values = ProjectCustomField.find(:all).collect { |x| CustomValue.new(:custom_field => x, :customized => @project, :value => params["custom_fields"][x.id.to_s]) }
+      @custom_values = ProjectCustomField.find(:all).collect { |x| CustomValue.new(:custom_field => x, :customized => @project, :value => (params[:custom_fields] ? params["custom_fields"][x.id.to_s] : nil)) }
       @project.custom_values = @custom_values			
       if params[:repository_enabled] && params[:repository_enabled] == "1"
         @project.repository = Repository.factory(params[:repository_scm])
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 7e3abc75c..85579820f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
       @user.admin = params[:user][:admin] || false
       @user.login = params[:user][:login]
       @user.password, @user.password_confirmation = params[:password], params[:password_confirmation] unless @user.auth_source_id
-      @custom_values = UserCustomField.find(:all).collect { |x| CustomValue.new(:custom_field => x, :customized => @user, :value => params["custom_fields"][x.id.to_s]) }
+      @custom_values = UserCustomField.find(:all).collect { |x| CustomValue.new(:custom_field => x, :customized => @user, :value => (params[:custom_fields] ? params["custom_fields"][x.id.to_s] : nil)) }
       @user.custom_values = @custom_values			
       if @user.save
         Mailer.deliver_account_information(@user, params[:password]) if params[:send_information]
diff --git a/app/models/custom_value.rb b/app/models/custom_value.rb
index e12c14376..6cc4d16bf 100644
--- a/app/models/custom_value.rb
+++ b/app/models/custom_value.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class CustomValue < ActiveRecord::Base
 
 protected
   def validate
-    errors.add(:value, :activerecord_error_blank) and return if custom_field.is_required? and value.empty?    
+    errors.add(:value, :activerecord_error_blank) and return if custom_field.is_required? and value.blank?    
     errors.add(:value, :activerecord_error_invalid) unless custom_field.regexp.blank? or value =~ Regexp.new(custom_field.regexp)
     errors.add(:value, :activerecord_error_too_short) if custom_field.min_length > 0 and value.length < custom_field.min_length and value.length > 0
     errors.add(:value, :activerecord_error_too_long) if custom_field.max_length > 0 and value.length > custom_field.max_length
diff --git a/test/integration/admin_test.rb b/test/integration/admin_test.rb
index c51dc1bf1..a424247cc 100644
--- a/test/integration/admin_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/admin_test.rb
@@ -45,7 +45,11 @@ class AdminTest < ActionController::IntegrationTest
     get "projects/add"
     assert_response :success
     assert_template "projects/add"
-    post "projects/add", :project => { :name => "blog", :description => "weblog", :identifier => "blog", :is_public => 1}
+    post "projects/add", :project => { :name => "blog", 
+                                       :description => "weblog",
+                                       :identifier => "blog",
+                                       :is_public => 1 },
+                         'custom_fields[3]' => 'Beta'
     assert_redirected_to "admin/projects"
     assert_equal 'Successful creation.', flash[:notice]