diff --git a/system/core/CodeIgniter.php b/system/core/CodeIgniter.php
index e97e9e3aad..e3a6f44b20 100644
--- a/system/core/CodeIgniter.php
+++ b/system/core/CodeIgniter.php
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
  * @var	string
  *
  */
-	const CI_VERSION = '3.4.7';
+	const CI_VERSION = '3.4.8';
 
 /*
  * ------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/system/libraries/Encryption.php b/system/libraries/Encryption.php
index b53dac2e83..815464c92f 100644
--- a/system/libraries/Encryption.php
+++ b/system/libraries/Encryption.php
@@ -371,6 +371,8 @@ public function create_key($length)
 	 */
 	public function encrypt($data, $params = NULL)
 	{
+		$data === NULL && $data = '';
+
 		if (($params = $this->_get_params($params)) === FALSE)
 		{
 			return FALSE;
@@ -470,11 +472,6 @@ protected function _mcrypt_encrypt($data, $params)
 	 */
 	protected function _openssl_encrypt($data, $params)
 	{
-		if ($data === NULL)
-		{
-			return NULL;
-		}
-
 		if (empty($params['handle']))
 		{
 			return FALSE;
@@ -511,6 +508,8 @@ protected function _openssl_encrypt($data, $params)
 	 */
 	public function decrypt($data, $params = NULL)
 	{
+		$data === NULL && $data = '';
+
 		if (($params = $this->_get_params($params)) === FALSE)
 		{
 			return FALSE;
@@ -631,11 +630,6 @@ protected function _mcrypt_decrypt($data, $params)
 	 */
 	protected function _openssl_decrypt($data, $params)
 	{
-		if ($data === NULL)
-		{
-			return NULL;
-		}
-
 		if ($iv_size = openssl_cipher_iv_length($params['handle']))
 		{
 			$iv = self::substr($data, 0, $iv_size);
diff --git a/tests/codeigniter/libraries/Encryption_test.php b/tests/codeigniter/libraries/Encryption_test.php
index dca2acad39..5cc9215fb7 100644
--- a/tests/codeigniter/libraries/Encryption_test.php
+++ b/tests/codeigniter/libraries/Encryption_test.php
@@ -248,6 +248,44 @@ public function test_encrypt_decrypt_custom()
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+	/**
+	 * @depends	test__get_params
+	 */
+	public function test_encrypt_decrypt_null()
+	{
+		$this->encryption->initialize(array('key' => str_repeat("\x1", 16)));
+
+		$notices = array();
+		set_error_handler(function ($severity, $message) use (&$notices) {
+			$notices[] = $message;
+			return TRUE;
+		});
+
+		$ciphertext = $this->encryption->encrypt(NULL);
+		$plaintext = $this->encryption->decrypt($ciphertext);
+		$null_plaintext = $this->encryption->decrypt(NULL);
+
+		$binary_params = array(
+			'cipher' => 'aes-128',
+			'mode' => 'cbc',
+			'key' => str_repeat("\x1", 16),
+			'hmac' => FALSE
+		);
+		$binary_ciphertext = $this->encryption->encrypt(NULL, $binary_params);
+		$binary_plaintext = $this->encryption->decrypt($binary_ciphertext, $binary_params);
+		$binary_null_plaintext = $this->encryption->decrypt(NULL, $binary_params);
+
+		restore_error_handler();
+
+		$this->assertSame(array(), $notices);
+		$this->assertSame('', $plaintext);
+		$this->assertFalse($null_plaintext);
+		$this->assertSame('', $binary_plaintext);
+		$this->assertFalse($binary_null_plaintext);
+	}
+
+	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 	/**
 	 * _mcrypt_get_handle() test
 	 */