diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/node/Neo4jNodeBacking.aj b/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/node/Neo4jNodeBacking.aj
index 28bb6102a..81ea66846 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/node/Neo4jNodeBacking.aj
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/node/Neo4jNodeBacking.aj
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package org.springframework.datastore.graph.neo4j.spi.node;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
 import java.util.*;
 
@@ -159,13 +161,19 @@ public aspect Neo4jNodeBacking extends AbstractTypeAnnotatingMixinFields<GraphEn
 
     private static RelationshipBacked createRelationshipEntity(Class<? extends RelationshipBacked> relationshipType, Relationship rel) {
         try {
-            final RelationshipBacked relationshipEntity = relationshipType.newInstance();
+            final Constructor<? extends RelationshipBacked> constructor = relationshipType.getDeclaredConstructor();
+            constructor.setAccessible(true);
+            final RelationshipBacked relationshipEntity = constructor.newInstance();
             relationshipEntity.setUnderlyingRelationship(rel);
             return relationshipEntity;
         } catch (InstantiationException e) {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
+        } catch (NoSuchMethodException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+        } catch (InvocationTargetException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException(e.getTargetException());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/relationship/Neo4jRelationshipBacking.aj b/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/relationship/Neo4jRelationshipBacking.aj
index b7817fe8b..7cd51a5f6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/relationship/Neo4jRelationshipBacking.aj
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/datastore/graph/neo4j/spi/relationship/Neo4jRelationshipBacking.aj
@@ -121,7 +121,12 @@ public aspect Neo4jRelationshipBacking extends AbstractTypeAnnotatingMixinFields
 					throw new InvalidDataAccessApiUsageException("Please set start node and end node before assigning to other fields.");
 				}
 				String propName = FieldAccessorFactory.getNeo4jPropertyName(f);
-				entity.getUnderlyingRelationship().setProperty(propName, newVal);
+                if (newVal==null) {
+                    entity.getUnderlyingRelationship().removeProperty(propName);
+                }
+                else {
+                    entity.getUnderlyingRelationship().setProperty(propName, newVal);
+                }
 				log.info("SET " + f + " -> Neo4J simple relationship property [" + propName + "] with value=[" + newVal + "]");
 				return proceed(entity, newVal);
 			}