diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7b3538af..47eb4455 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,6 +5,5 @@ target/
 .project
 .settings/*
 
-# IntelliJ IDEA
 *.iml
-.idea
+.idea/*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 0bbc5466..0d37407a 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
   </parent>
 
   <properties>
-    <couchbase>1.1.9</couchbase>
-    <jackson>2.2.2</jackson>
+    <couchbase>1.2.0</couchbase>
+    <jackson>2.2.3</jackson>
     <springdata.commons>1.6.1.RELEASE</springdata.commons>
   </properties>
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
-      <groupId>couchbase</groupId>
+      <groupId>com.couchbase.client</groupId>
       <artifactId>couchbase-client</artifactId>
       <version>${couchbase}</version>
     </dependency>
@@ -90,14 +90,6 @@
   </dependencies>
 
   <repositories>
-    <repository>
-      <id>couchbase</id>
-      <name>Couchbase Maven Repository</name>
-      <url>http://files.couchbase.com/maven2/</url>
-      <snapshots>
-        <enabled>false</enabled>
-      </snapshots>
-    </repository>
     <repository>
       <id>spring-lib-release</id>
       <url>http://repo.springsource.org/libs-release-local</url>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/mapping/CouchbaseDocument.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/mapping/CouchbaseDocument.java
index f5f47791..56cd73cc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/mapping/CouchbaseDocument.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/mapping/CouchbaseDocument.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class CouchbaseDocument implements CouchbaseStorable {
    * @return the {@link CouchbaseDocument} for chaining.
    */
   public final CouchbaseDocument put(final String key, final Object value) {
-    verifyValueType(value.getClass());
+    verifyValueType(value);
 
     payload.put(key, value);
     return this;
@@ -259,15 +259,19 @@ public class CouchbaseDocument implements CouchbaseStorable {
    * <p>If this is not the case, a {@link IllegalArgumentException} is
    * thrown.</p>
    *
-   * @param clazz the class type to check and verify.
+   * Objects that are NULL cannot be stored.
+   *
+   * @param value the object to verify its type.
    */
-  private void verifyValueType(final Class<?> clazz) {
-    if (simpleTypeHolder.isSimpleType(clazz)) {
-      return;
+  private void verifyValueType(final Object value) {
+    if(value == null) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Attribute of type null cannot be stored.");
     }
-
-    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Attribute of type "
-      + clazz.getCanonicalName() + " can not be stored and must be converted.");
+    final Class<?> clazz = value.getClass();
+    if (simpleTypeHolder.isSimpleType(clazz)) {
+        return;
+    }
+    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Attribute of type " + clazz.getCanonicalName() + " cannot be stored and must be converted.");
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/CouchbaseTemplateTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/CouchbaseTemplateTests.java
index 8e52c776..a2f201f2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/CouchbaseTemplateTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/couchbase/core/CouchbaseTemplateTests.java
@@ -179,6 +179,18 @@ public class CouchbaseTemplateTests {
       assertNotNull(beer.getActive());
     }
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldNotSaveNull() {
+    final Map<String, String> things = new HashMap<String, String>();
+    things.put("key", null);
+    try {
+      template.save(things);
+      fail("We should not be able to store a NULL!");
+    } catch(final IllegalArgumentException e) {
+      assertTrue(true);
+    }
+  }
   
   /**
    * A sample document with just an id and property.