diff --git a/beetsplug/mpdstats.py b/beetsplug/mpdstats.py
index fc0b3d590..fce04440a 100644
--- a/beetsplug/mpdstats.py
+++ b/beetsplug/mpdstats.py
@@ -201,8 +201,12 @@ class MPDStats(object):
                             displayable_path(item.path))
 
     def update_rating(self, item, skipped):
-        """Update the rating for a beets item.
+        """Update the rating for a beets item. The `item` can either be a
+        beets `Item` or None. If the item is None, nothing changes.
         """
+        if item is None:
+            return
+
         item.load()
         rating = self.rating(
             int(item.get('play_count', 0)),
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 572b38dc1..e6f8bf66e 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ setup(
         'responses',
         'pyxdg',
         'pathlib',
+        'python-mpd',
     ],
 
     # Plugin (optional) dependencies:
diff --git a/test/test_mpdstats.py b/test/test_mpdstats.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2db78f1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_mpdstats.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# This file is part of beets.
+# Copyright 2015
+#
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
+# a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+# "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+# without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+# distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
+# permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
+# the following conditions:
+#
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
+# included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+from __future__ import (division, absolute_import, print_function,
+                        unicode_literals)
+
+
+from mock import Mock
+from test._common import unittest
+from test.helper import TestHelper
+
+from beets.library import Item
+from beetsplug.mpdstats import MPDStats
+
+
+class MPDStatsTest(unittest.TestCase, TestHelper):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.setup_beets()
+        self.load_plugins('mpdstats')
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.teardown_beets()
+        self.unload_plugins()
+
+    def test_update_rating(self):
+        item = Item(title='title', path='', id=1)
+        item.add(self.lib)
+
+        log = Mock()
+        mpdstats = MPDStats(self.lib, log)
+
+        self.assertFalse(mpdstats.update_rating(item, True))
+        self.assertFalse(mpdstats.update_rating(None, True))
+
+
+def suite():
+    return unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromName(__name__)
+
+if __name__ == b'__main__':
+    unittest.main(defaultTest='suite')
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 9ab6b3c68..be8862d42 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ deps =
     pathlib
     pyxdg
     jellyfish
+    python-mpd
 commands =
     nosetests {posargs}