diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/MapStorageBackendTest.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/MapStorageBackendTest.scala
index 2021c1d3aa..395d0ef269 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/MapStorageBackendTest.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/MapStorageBackendTest.scala
@@ -142,8 +142,13 @@ trait MapStorageBackendTest extends Spec with ShouldMatchers with BeforeAndAfter
     }
 
 
-    it("should return Some(null), not None, for a key that has had the value null set?") {
-
+    it("should return Some(null), not None, for a key that has had the value null set and None for a key with no value set") {
+      val mapName = "nullTest"
+      val key = "key".getBytes
+      storage.insertMapStorageEntryFor(mapName, key, null)
+      storage.getMapStorageEntryFor(mapName, key).get should be(null)
+      storage.removeMapStorageFor(mapName, key)
+      storage.getMapStorageEntryFor(mapName, key) should be(None)
     }
 
     it("should not throw an exception when size is called on a non existent map?") {
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/QueueStorageBackendTest.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/QueueStorageBackendTest.scala
index 61730a42d3..3eb89e3db5 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/QueueStorageBackendTest.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/QueueStorageBackendTest.scala
@@ -111,6 +111,13 @@ trait QueueStorageBackendTest extends Spec with ShouldMatchers with BeforeAndAft
       storage.remove(queue)
       storage.size(queue) should be(0)
     }
+
+    it("should accept null as a value to enqueue and return Some(null) when that value is dequeued") {
+      val queue = "nullTest"
+      storage.enqueue(queue, null).get should be(1)
+      storage.dequeue(queue).get should be(null)
+      storage.dequeue(queue) should be(None)
+    }
   }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/RefStorageBackendTest.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/RefStorageBackendTest.scala
index 96451bc063..37902cf7c9 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/RefStorageBackendTest.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/RefStorageBackendTest.scala
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ trait RefStorageBackendTest extends Spec with ShouldMatchers with BeforeAndAfter
       val value = name.getBytes
       storage.getRefStorageFor(name) should be(None)
     }
+
+    it("Should return None, not Some(null) when getRefStorageFor is called when null has been set") {
+      val name = "RefStorageTest #3"
+      storage.insertRefStorageFor(name, null)
+      storage.getRefStorageFor(name) should be(None)
+    }
   }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/VectorStorageBackendTest.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/VectorStorageBackendTest.scala
index c88795cc23..e677f8fe66 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/VectorStorageBackendTest.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/test/scala/VectorStorageBackendTest.scala
@@ -86,14 +86,36 @@ trait VectorStorageBackendTest extends Spec with ShouldMatchers with BeforeAndAf
       val values = (0 to rand).toList.map {i: Int => vector + "value" + i}
       storage.insertVectorStorageEntriesFor(vector, values.map {s: String => s.getBytes})
       values.reverse should be(storage.getVectorStorageRangeFor(vector, None, None, rand + 1).map {b: Array[Byte] => new String(b)})
+      (0 to drand).foreach {
+        i: Int => {
+          val value: String = vector + "value" + (rand - i)
+          log.debug(value)
+          List(value) should be(storage.getVectorStorageRangeFor(vector, Some(i), None, 1).map {b: Array[Byte] => new String(b)})
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     it("should behave properly when the range used in getVectorStorageRangeFor has indexes outside the current size of the vector") {
       //what is proper?
     }
 
-    it("shoud behave properly when getStorageEntry for a non existent entry?") {
+    it("shoud return null when getStorageEntry is called on a null entry") {
       //What is proper?
+      val vector = "nullTest"
+      storage.insertVectorStorageEntryFor(vector, null)
+      storage.getVectorStorageEntryFor(vector, 0) should be(null)
+    }
+
+    it("shoud throw a Storage exception when there is an attempt to retrieve an index larger than the Vector") {
+      val vector = "tooLargeRetrieve"
+      storage.insertVectorStorageEntryFor(vector, null)
+      evaluating {storage.getVectorStorageEntryFor(vector, 9)} should produce[StorageException]
+    }
+
+    it("shoud throw a Storage exception when there is an attempt to update an index larger than the Vector") {
+      val vector = "tooLargeUpdate"
+      storage.insertVectorStorageEntryFor(vector, null)
+      evaluating {storage.updateVectorStorageEntryFor(vector, 9, null)} should produce[StorageException]
     }
 
   }
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/main/scala/VoldemortStorage.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/main/scala/VoldemortStorage.scala
index 4e237267a5..2a9c3c5717 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/main/scala/VoldemortStorage.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/main/scala/VoldemortStorage.scala
@@ -15,14 +15,17 @@ object VoldemortStorage extends Storage {
   def newMap: PersistentMap[ElementType, ElementType] = newMap(newUuid.toString)
   def newVector: PersistentVector[ElementType] = newVector(newUuid.toString)
   def newRef: PersistentRef[ElementType] = newRef(newUuid.toString)
+  override def newQueue: PersistentQueue[ElementType] = newQueue(newUuid.toString)
 
   def getMap(id: String): PersistentMap[ElementType, ElementType] = newMap(id)
   def getVector(id: String): PersistentVector[ElementType] = newVector(id)
   def getRef(id: String): PersistentRef[ElementType] = newRef(id)
+  override def getQueue(id: String): PersistentQueue[ElementType] = newQueue(id)
 
   def newMap(id: String): PersistentMap[ElementType, ElementType] = new VoldemortPersistentMap(id)
   def newVector(id: String): PersistentVector[ElementType] = new VoldemortPersistentVector(id)
   def newRef(id: String): PersistentRef[ElementType] = new VoldemortPersistentRef(id)
+  override def newQueue(id:String): PersistentQueue[ElementType] = new VoldemortPersistentQueue(id)
 }
 
 
@@ -41,3 +44,8 @@ class VoldemortPersistentRef(id: String) extends PersistentRef[Array[Byte]] {
   val uuid = id
   val storage = VoldemortStorageBackend
 }
+
+class VoldemortPersistentQueue(id: String) extends PersistentQueue[Array[Byte]] {
+  val uuid = id
+  val storage = VoldemortStorageBackend
+}
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/main/scala/VoldemortStorageBackend.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/main/scala/VoldemortStorageBackend.scala
index 5cbe0097df..abc7855d9c 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/main/scala/VoldemortStorageBackend.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/main/scala/VoldemortStorageBackend.scala
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
   var queueClient: StoreClient[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] = null
   initStoreClients
 
+  val nullMapValueHeader = 0x00.byteValue
+  val nullMapValue: Array[Byte] = Array(nullMapValueHeader)
+  val notNullMapValueHeader: Byte = 0xff.byteValue
   val underscoreBytesUTF8 = "_".getBytes("UTF-8")
   val mapKeysIndex = getIndexedBytes(-1)
   val vectorSizeIndex = getIndexedBytes(-1)
@@ -61,14 +64,14 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
 
   def getRefStorageFor(name: String): Option[Array[Byte]] = {
     val result: Array[Byte] = refClient.getValue(name)
-    result match {
-      case null => None
-      case _ => Some(result)
-    }
+    Option(result)
   }
 
   def insertRefStorageFor(name: String, element: Array[Byte]) = {
-    refClient.put(name, element)
+    element match {
+      case null => refClient.delete(name)
+      case _ => refClient.put(name, element)
+    }
   }
 
   def getMapStorageRangeFor(name: String, start: Option[Array[Byte]], finish: Option[Array[Byte]], count: Int): List[(Array[Byte], Array[Byte])] = {
@@ -93,7 +96,7 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
       (entry) => {
         entry match {
           case (namePlusKey: Array[Byte], versioned: Versioned[Array[Byte]]) => {
-            returned += getMapKeyFromKey(name, namePlusKey) -> versioned.getValue
+            returned += getMapKeyFromKey(name, namePlusKey) -> getMapValueFromStored(versioned.getValue)
           }
         }
       }
@@ -110,7 +113,7 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
     val result: Array[Byte] = mapClient.getValue(getKey(name, key))
     result match {
       case null => None
-      case _ => Some(result)
+      case _ => Some(getMapValueFromStored(result))
     }
   }
 
@@ -132,7 +135,7 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
   }
 
   def insertMapStorageEntryFor(name: String, key: Array[Byte], value: Array[Byte]) = {
-    mapClient.put(getKey(name, key), value)
+    mapClient.put(getKey(name, key), getStoredMapValue(value))
     var keys = getMapKeys(name)
     keys += key
     putMapKeys(name, keys)
@@ -141,7 +144,7 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
   def insertMapStorageEntriesFor(name: String, entries: List[(Array[Byte], Array[Byte])]) = {
     val newKeys = entries.map {
       case (key, value) => {
-        mapClient.put(getKey(name, key), value)
+        mapClient.put(getKey(name, key), getStoredMapValue(value))
         key
       }
     }
@@ -167,18 +170,21 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
   def getVectorStorageRangeFor(name: String, start: Option[Int], finish: Option[Int], count: Int): List[Array[Byte]] = {
     val size = getVectorStorageSizeFor(name)
     val st = start.getOrElse(0)
-    val cnt =
+    var cnt =
     if (finish.isDefined) {
       val f = finish.get
       if (f >= st) (f - st) else count
     } else {
       count
     }
+    if (cnt > (size - st)) {
+      cnt = size - st
+    }
 
 
     val seq: IndexedSeq[Array[Byte]] = (st until st + cnt).map {
-      index => getIndexedKey(name, index)
-    }.reverse //read backwards
+      index => getIndexedKey(name, (size - 1) - index)
+    } //read backwards
 
     val all: JMap[Array[Byte], Versioned[Array[Byte]]] = vectorClient.getAll(JavaConversions.asIterable(seq))
 
@@ -200,18 +206,22 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
 
   def getVectorStorageEntryFor(name: String, index: Int): Array[Byte] = {
     val size = getVectorStorageSizeFor(name)
-    if (size > 0) {
+    if (size > 0 && index < size) {
       vectorClient.getValue(getIndexedKey(name, /*read backwards*/ (size - 1) - index))
     } else {
-      Array.empty[Byte] //is this what to return?
+      throw new StorageException("In Vector:" + name + " No such Index:" + index)
     }
   }
 
   def updateVectorStorageEntryFor(name: String, index: Int, elem: Array[Byte]) = {
     val size = getVectorStorageSizeFor(name)
-    vectorClient.put(getIndexedKey(name, /*read backwards*/ (size - 1) - index), elem)
-    if (size < index + 1) {
-      vectorClient.put(getKey(name, vectorSizeIndex), IntSerializer.toBytes(index + 1))
+    if (size > 0 && index < size) {
+      elem match {
+        case null => vectorClient.delete(getIndexedKey(name, /*read backwards*/ (size - 1) - index))
+        case _ => vectorClient.put(getIndexedKey(name, /*read backwards*/ (size - 1) - index), elem)
+      }
+    } else {
+      throw new StorageException("In Vector:" + name + " No such Index:" + index)
     }
   }
 
@@ -219,7 +229,9 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
     var size = getVectorStorageSizeFor(name)
     elements.foreach {
       element =>
-        vectorClient.put(getIndexedKey(name, size), element)
+        if (element != null) {
+          vectorClient.put(getIndexedKey(name, size), element)
+        }
         size += 1
     }
     vectorClient.put(getKey(name, vectorSizeIndex), IntSerializer.toBytes(size))
@@ -281,7 +293,10 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
     val mdata = getQueueMetadata(name)
     if (mdata.canEnqueue) {
       val key = getIndexedKey(name, mdata.tail)
-      queueClient.put(key, item)
+      item match {
+        case null => queueClient.delete(key)
+        case _ => queueClient.put(key, item)
+      }
       queueClient.put(getKey(name, queueTailIndex), IntSerializer.toBytes(mdata.nextEnqueue))
       Some(mdata.size + 1)
     } else {
@@ -344,6 +359,32 @@ MapStorageBackend[Array[Byte], Array[Byte]] with
     mapkey
   }
 
+  //wrapper for null
+  def getStoredMapValue(value: Array[Byte]): Array[Byte] = {
+    value match {
+      case null => nullMapValue
+      case value => {
+        val stored = new Array[Byte](value.length + 1)
+        stored(0) = notNullMapValueHeader
+        System.arraycopy(value, 0, stored, 1, value.length)
+        stored
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  def getMapValueFromStored(value: Array[Byte]): Array[Byte] = {
+
+    if (value(0) == nullMapValueHeader) {
+      null
+    } else if (value(0) == notNullMapValueHeader) {
+      val returned = new Array[Byte](value.length - 1)
+      System.arraycopy(value, 1, returned, 0, value.length - 1)
+      returned
+    } else {
+      throw new StorageException("unknown header byte on map value:" + value(0))
+    }
+  }
+
 
   def getClientConfig(configMap: Map[String, String]): Properties = {
     val properites = new Properties
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/test/scala/VoldemortPersistentDatastructureSuite.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/test/scala/VoldemortPersistentDatastructureSuite.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index b283cad692..0000000000
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/test/scala/VoldemortPersistentDatastructureSuite.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,101 +0,0 @@
-package se.scalablesolutions.akka.persistence.voldemort
-
-import org.scalatest.FunSuite
-import org.scalatest.matchers.ShouldMatchers
-import org.junit.runner.RunWith
-import org.scalatest.junit.JUnitRunner
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.persistence.voldemort.VoldemortStorageBackend._
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.actor.{newUuid, Uuid}
-import collection.immutable.TreeSet
-import VoldemortStorageBackendSuite._
-
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.stm._
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.stm.global._
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.config.ScalaConfig._
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.persistence.common._
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.util.Logging
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.config.Config.config
-
-@RunWith(classOf[JUnitRunner])
-class VoldemortPersistentDatastructureSuite extends FunSuite with ShouldMatchers with EmbeddedVoldemort with Logging {
-  test("persistentRefs work as expected") {
-    val name = newUuid.toString
-    val one = "one".getBytes
-    atomic {
-      val ref = VoldemortStorage.getRef(name)
-      ref.isDefined should be(false)
-      ref.swap(one)
-      ref.get match {
-        case Some(bytes) => bytes should be(one)
-        case None => true should be(false)
-      }
-    }
-    val two = "two".getBytes
-    atomic {
-      val ref = VoldemortStorage.getRef(name)
-      ref.isDefined should be(true)
-      ref.swap(two)
-      ref.get match {
-        case Some(bytes) => bytes should be(two)
-        case None => true should be(false)
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-
-  test("Persistent Vectors function as expected") {
-    val name = newUuid.toString
-    val one = "one".getBytes
-    val two = "two".getBytes
-    atomic {
-      val vec = VoldemortStorage.getVector(name)
-      vec.add(one)
-    }
-    atomic {
-      val vec = VoldemortStorage.getVector(name)
-      vec.size should be(1)
-      vec.add(two)
-    }
-    atomic {
-      val vec = VoldemortStorage.getVector(name)
-
-      vec.get(0) should be(one)
-      vec.get(1) should be(two)
-      vec.size should be(2)
-      vec.update(0, two)
-    }
-
-    atomic {
-      val vec = VoldemortStorage.getVector(name)
-      vec.get(0) should be(two)
-      vec.get(1) should be(two)
-      vec.size should be(2)
-      vec.update(0, Array.empty[Byte])
-      vec.update(1, Array.empty[Byte])
-    }
-
-    atomic {
-      val vec = VoldemortStorage.getVector(name)
-      vec.get(0) should be(Array.empty[Byte])
-      vec.get(1) should be(Array.empty[Byte])
-      vec.size should be(2)
-    }
-
-
-  }
-
-  test("Persistent Maps work as expected") {
-    atomic {
-      val map = VoldemortStorage.getMap("map")
-      map.put("mapTest".getBytes, null)
-    }
-
-    atomic {
-      val map = VoldemortStorage.getMap("map")
-      map.get("mapTest".getBytes).get should be(null)
-    }
-
-
-  }
-
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/test/scala/VoldemortStorageBackendSuite.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/test/scala/VoldemortStorageBackendSuite.scala
index 8ac3d306c4..b28ea90171 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/test/scala/VoldemortStorageBackendSuite.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-voldemort/src/test/scala/VoldemortStorageBackendSuite.scala
@@ -103,10 +103,7 @@ class VoldemortStorageBackendSuite extends FunSuite with ShouldMatchers with Emb
     vectorClient.delete(getKey(key, vectorSizeIndex))
     vectorClient.delete(getIndexedKey(key, 0))
     vectorClient.delete(getIndexedKey(key, 1))
-    getVectorStorageEntryFor(key, 0) should be(empty)
-    getVectorStorageEntryFor(key, 1) should be(empty)
-    getVectorStorageRangeFor(key, None, None, 1).head should be(empty)
-
+    
     insertVectorStorageEntryFor(key, value)
     //again
     insertVectorStorageEntryFor(key, value)