diff --git a/spring-cloud-config-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/server/encryption/CipherEnvironmentEncryptor.java b/spring-cloud-config-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/server/encryption/CipherEnvironmentEncryptor.java
index 04578abd..0e5b40fa 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-config-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/server/encryption/CipherEnvironmentEncryptor.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-config-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/server/encryption/CipherEnvironmentEncryptor.java
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ public class CipherEnvironmentEncryptor implements EnvironmentEncryptor {
 			for (Map.Entry<Object, Object> entry : new LinkedHashSet<>(map.entrySet())) {
 				Object key = entry.getKey();
 				String name = key.toString();
-				String value = entry.getValue().toString();
-				if (value.startsWith("{cipher}")) {
+				if(entry.getValue() != null && entry.getValue().toString().startsWith("{cipher}")){
+					String value = entry.getValue().toString();
 					map.remove(key);
 					try {
 						value = value.substring("{cipher}".length());
diff --git a/spring-cloud-config-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/server/encryption/CipherEnvironmentEncryptorTests.java b/spring-cloud-config-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/server/encryption/CipherEnvironmentEncryptorTests.java
index f41c051f..ceddb803 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-config-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/server/encryption/CipherEnvironmentEncryptorTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-config-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/config/server/encryption/CipherEnvironmentEncryptorTests.java
@@ -90,5 +90,18 @@ public class CipherEnvironmentEncryptorTests {
 		assertEquals(secret, this.encryptor.decrypt(environment).getPropertySources()
 				.get(0).getSource().get(environment.getName()));
 	}
+	@Test
+	public void shouldBeAbleToUseNullAsPropertyValue() {
+
+		// when
+		Environment environment = new Environment("name", "profile", "label");
+		environment.add(new PropertySource("a",
+				Collections.<Object, Object>singletonMap(environment.getName(),
+						null)));
+
+		// then
+		assertEquals(null, this.encryptor.decrypt(environment).getPropertySources()
+				.get(0).getSource().get(environment.getName()));
+	}
 
 }