diff --git a/beets/dbcore/db.py b/beets/dbcore/db.py
index ef7231a76..a714d9492 100755
--- a/beets/dbcore/db.py
+++ b/beets/dbcore/db.py
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ class Model(object):
         if key in getters:  # Computed.
             return getters[key](self)
         elif key in self._fields:  # Fixed.
-            return self._values_fixed.get(key)
+            return self._values_fixed.get(key, self._type(key).null)
         elif key in self._values_flex:  # Flexible.
             return self._values_flex[key]
         else:
diff --git a/beets/library.py b/beets/library.py
index 0a64516ad..f294e6d4f 100644
--- a/beets/library.py
+++ b/beets/library.py
@@ -144,10 +144,27 @@ class DateType(types.Float):
 
 
 class PathType(types.Type):
+    """A dbcore type for filesystem paths. These are represented as
+    `bytes` objects, in keeping with the Unix filesystem abstraction.
+    """
+
     sql = u'BLOB'
     query = PathQuery
     model_type = bytes
 
+    def __init__(self, nullable=False):
+        """Create a path type object. `nullable` controls whether the
+        type may be missing, i.e., None.
+        """
+        self.nullable = nullable
+
+    @property
+    def null(self):
+        if self.nullable:
+            return None
+        else:
+            return b''
+
     def format(self, value):
         return util.displayable_path(value)
 
@@ -188,6 +205,8 @@ class MusicalKey(types.String):
         r'bb': 'a#',
     }
 
+    null = None
+
     def parse(self, key):
         key = key.lower()
         for flat, sharp in self.ENHARMONIC.items():
@@ -873,7 +892,7 @@ class Album(LibModel):
     _always_dirty = True
     _fields = {
         'id':      types.PRIMARY_ID,
-        'artpath': PathType(),
+        'artpath': PathType(True),
         'added':   DateType(),
 
         'albumartist':        types.STRING,
diff --git a/test/test_dbcore.py b/test/test_dbcore.py
index d070e257e..d2d97d4b3 100644
--- a/test/test_dbcore.py
+++ b/test/test_dbcore.py
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ class ModelTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_items(self):
         model = TestModel1(self.db)
         model.id = 5
-        self.assertEqual({('id', 5), ('field_one', None)},
+        self.assertEqual({('id', 5), ('field_one', 0)},
                          set(model.items()))
 
     def test_delete_internal_field(self):
diff --git a/test/test_ipfs.py b/test/test_ipfs.py
index 9c523d6e5..d670bfc25 100644
--- a/test/test_ipfs.py
+++ b/test/test_ipfs.py
@@ -67,17 +67,17 @@ class IPFSPluginTest(unittest.TestCase, TestHelper):
     def mk_test_album(self):
         items = [_common.item() for _ in range(3)]
         items[0].title = 'foo bar'
-        items[0].artist = 'one'
+        items[0].artist = '1one'
         items[0].album = 'baz'
         items[0].year = 2001
         items[0].comp = True
         items[1].title = 'baz qux'
-        items[1].artist = 'two'
+        items[1].artist = '2two'
         items[1].album = 'baz'
         items[1].year = 2002
         items[1].comp = True
         items[2].title = 'beets 4 eva'
-        items[2].artist = 'three'
+        items[2].artist = '3three'
         items[2].album = 'foo'
         items[2].year = 2003
         items[2].comp = False
diff --git a/test/test_query.py b/test/test_query.py
index 61df3ca10..c0ab2a171 100644
--- a/test/test_query.py
+++ b/test/test_query.py
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ class AnyFieldQueryTest(_common.LibTestCase):
 
 class AssertsMixin(object):
     def assert_items_matched(self, results, titles):
-        self.assertEqual([i.title for i in results], titles)
+        self.assertEqual(set([i.title for i in results]), set(titles))
 
     def assert_albums_matched(self, results, albums):
-        self.assertEqual([a.album for a in results], albums)
+        self.assertEqual(set([a.album for a in results]), set(albums))
 
 
 # A test case class providing a library with some dummy data and some