diff --git a/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/PropertiesPropertyEditor.java b/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/PropertiesPropertyEditor.java
index 4af80661b..94743595d 100644
--- a/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/PropertiesPropertyEditor.java
+++ b/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/PropertiesPropertyEditor.java
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public class PropertiesPropertyEditor extends AbstractPropertyEditor {
      *      current value.
      */
     public String getJavaInitializationString() {
-        return getAsText();
+        return "new Properties()";
     }
 
     /**
@@ -128,7 +128,11 @@ public class PropertiesPropertyEditor extends AbstractPropertyEditor {
      *     modified value.
      */
     public void setValue(Object value) {
-        if(value != null && !(value instanceof Properties)) {
+        if(value == null) {
+            value = new Properties();
+        }
+
+        if(!(value instanceof Properties)) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                 value.getClass().getName() + " is not of type Properties.");
         }
diff --git a/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/StringArrayPropertyEditor.java b/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/StringArrayPropertyEditor.java
index 62be02893..fa17dfe23 100644
--- a/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/StringArrayPropertyEditor.java
+++ b/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/StringArrayPropertyEditor.java
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ public class StringArrayPropertyEditor extends AbstractPropertyEditor {
      *     modified value.
      */
     public void setValue(Object value) {
+        if(value == null) {
+            value = new String[0];
+        }
         if(!(value instanceof String[])) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                 "Value must be of type String[].");
diff --git a/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/StringPropertyEditor.java b/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/StringPropertyEditor.java
index 7a7304fa0..00b756298 100644
--- a/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/StringPropertyEditor.java
+++ b/src/antidote/org/apache/tools/ant/gui/customizer/StringPropertyEditor.java
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ public class StringPropertyEditor extends AbstractPropertyEditor {
      *     modified value.
      */
     public void setValue(Object value) {
+        if(value == null) {
+            value = "";
+        }
+
         Object old = _widget.getText();
         _widget.setText(String.valueOf(value));
     }
@@ -129,9 +133,6 @@ public class StringPropertyEditor extends AbstractPropertyEditor {
      * object type such as "java.lang.Integer".  */
     public Object getValue() {
         String retval = _widget.getText();
-        if(retval != null && retval.length() == 0) {
-            retval = null;
-        }
         return retval;
     }