diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper.java
index acfb7bd3..c0930d35 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper.java
@@ -228,6 +228,8 @@ public class DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper implements ObjectDirectoryMapper {
             // Convert the field value to the required type and write it into the JNDI context
             context.setAttributeValue(attributeInfo.getName().toString(), converterManager.convert(fieldValue,
                     attributeInfo.getSyntax(), targetClass));
+        } else {
+            context.setAttributeValue(attributeInfo.getName().toString(), null);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/integration-tests/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/itest/odm/LdapTemplateOdmWithNoDnAnnotationsITest.java b/test/integration-tests/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/itest/odm/LdapTemplateOdmWithNoDnAnnotationsITest.java
index 3f4969dc..cc311c61 100644
--- a/test/integration-tests/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/itest/odm/LdapTemplateOdmWithNoDnAnnotationsITest.java
+++ b/test/integration-tests/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/itest/odm/LdapTemplateOdmWithNoDnAnnotationsITest.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 import static org.springframework.ldap.query.LdapQueryBuilder.query;
@@ -164,4 +165,21 @@ public class LdapTemplateOdmWithNoDnAnnotationsITest extends AbstractLdapTemplat
             assertTrue(true);
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Test case for Jira LDAP-271.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testLdap271() {
+        Person person = tested.findOne(query()
+                .where("cn").is("Some Person3"), Person.class);
+
+        // Perform test
+        person.setTelephoneNumber(null);
+        tested.update(person);
+
+        person = tested.findOne(query()
+                .where("cn").is("Some Person3"), Person.class);
+        assertNull("TelephoneNumber should be null", person.getTelephoneNumber());
+    }
 }