diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/ExcelParserOptions.scala b/src/main/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/ExcelParserOptions.scala
index f52c6f4..55564e3 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/ExcelParserOptions.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/ExcelParserOptions.scala
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ private[excel] class ExcelParserOptions(
   val headerRowCount: Int = parameters.getOrElse("headerRowCount", "1").toInt
   val maxRowCount: Int = parameters.getOrElse("maxRowCount", "1000").toInt
   val includeSheetName: Boolean = parameters.getOrElse("includeSheetName", "false").toBoolean
+  val nulLValue: Option[String] = parameters.get("nullValue")
   val thresholdBytesForTempFiles: Int = parameters.getOrElse("thresholdBytesForTempFiles", parameters.getOrElse("maxBytesForTempFiles", "100000000")).toInt
 
   val schemaMatchColumnName: String = parameters.getOrElse("schemaMatchColumnName", null)
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ private[excel] object ExcelParserOptions {
     encoder.encode("headerRowCount") -> "headerRowCount",
     encoder.encode("maxRowCount") -> "maxRowCount",
     encoder.encode("includeSheetName") -> "includeSheetName",
+    encoder.encode("nullValue") -> "nullValue",
     encoder.encode("maxBytesForTempFiles") -> "maxBytesForTempFiles",
     encoder.encode("thresholdBytesForTempFiles") -> "thresholdBytesForTempFiles",
     encoder.encode("schemaMatchColumnName") -> "schemaMatchColumnName"
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/parser/ExcelParser.scala b/src/main/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/parser/ExcelParser.scala
index 04a45ab..e7ab677 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/parser/ExcelParser.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/parser/ExcelParser.scala
@@ -292,7 +292,12 @@ private[excel] class ExcelParser(inputStream: InputStream, options: ExcelParserO
           case _ => (null, false)
         }
         case CellType.STRING => targetType match {
-          case _: StringType => (UTF8String.fromString(currentCellValue.getStringValue), true)
+          case _: StringType =>
+            val cellStringValue = UTF8String.fromString(currentCellValue.getStringValue)
+            options.nulLValue match {
+              case Some(nullValue) if cellStringValue.toString.equalsIgnoreCase(nullValue) => (null, true)
+              case _ => (cellStringValue, true)
+            }
           case _ => (null, false)
         }
         case _ => (UTF8String.fromString(currentCellValue.toString), true)
diff --git a/src/test/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/ExcelParserOptionsTests.scala b/src/test/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/ExcelParserOptionsTests.scala
index 93b7b48..9478782 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/ExcelParserOptionsTests.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/ExcelParserOptionsTests.scala
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
     options.headerRowCount should be(1)
     options.maxRowCount should be(1000)
     options.includeSheetName should be(false)
+    options.nulLValue should be(None)
     options.thresholdBytesForTempFiles should be(100000000)
     options.schemaMatchColumnName should be(null)
   }
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
     options.headerRowCount should be(1)
     options.maxRowCount should be(1000)
     options.includeSheetName should be(false)
+    options.nulLValue should be(None)
     options.thresholdBytesForTempFiles should be(100000000)
     options.schemaMatchColumnName should be(null)
   }
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
       "headerRowCount" -> "12",
       "maxRowCount" -> "2000",
       "includeSheetName" -> "true",
+      "nullValue" -> "NA",
       "maxBytesForTempFiles" -> "10",
       "schemaMatchColumnName" -> "_isValid"
     ).asJava)
@@ -55,6 +58,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
     options.headerRowCount should be(12)
     options.maxRowCount should be(2000)
     options.includeSheetName should be(true)
+    options.nulLValue should be(Some("NA"))
     options.thresholdBytesForTempFiles should be(10)
     options.schemaMatchColumnName should be("_isValid")
   }
@@ -67,6 +71,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
       "headerCount" -> "12",
       "maxRowCont" -> "2000",
       "includShetNam" -> "true",
+      "nulvalue" -> "NA",
       "macsBitesTempFiles" -> "10",
       "schemaMatchColumName" -> "_isValid"
     ).asJava)
@@ -79,6 +84,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
     exception.getMessage.contains("Invalid option 'headercount', did you mean 'headerRowCount'?") should be(true)
     exception.getMessage.contains("Invalid option 'maxrowcont', did you mean 'maxRowCount'?") should be(true)
     exception.getMessage.contains("Invalid option 'includshetnam', did you mean 'includeSheetName'?") should be(true)
+    exception.getMessage.contains("Invalid option 'nulvalue', did you mean 'nullValue'?") should be(true)
     exception.getMessage.contains("Invalid option 'macsbitestempfiles', did you mean 'maxBytesForTempFiles'") should be(true)
     exception.getMessage.contains("Invalid option 'schemamatchcolumname', did you mean 'schemaMatchColumnName'") should be(true)
   }
@@ -125,6 +131,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
     options.headerRowCount should be(1)
     options.maxRowCount should be(1000)
     options.includeSheetName should be(false)
+    options.nulLValue should be(None)
     options.thresholdBytesForTempFiles should be(100000000)
     options.schemaMatchColumnName should be(null)
   }
@@ -137,6 +144,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
       "headerRowCount" -> "12",
       "maxRowCount" -> "2000",
       "includeSheetName" -> "true",
+      "nullValue" -> "NA",
       "maxBytesForTempFiles" -> "100",
       "schemaMatchColumnName" -> "_isValid"
     )
@@ -149,6 +157,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
     options.headerRowCount should be(12)
     options.maxRowCount should be(2000)
     options.includeSheetName should be(true)
+    options.nulLValue should be(Some("NA"))
     options.thresholdBytesForTempFiles should be(100)
     options.schemaMatchColumnName should be("_isValid")
   }
@@ -191,6 +200,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
       "headerRowCount" -> "17",
       "maxRowCount" -> "5",
       "includeSheetName" -> "true",
+      "nullValue" -> "N/A",
       "thresholdBytesForTempFiles" -> "12",
       "schemaMatchColumnName" -> "matchesSchema"
     )
@@ -203,6 +213,7 @@ class ExcelParserOptionsTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
     options.headerRowCount should be(17)
     options.maxRowCount should be(5)
     options.includeSheetName should be(true)
+    options.nulLValue should be(Some("N/A"))
     options.thresholdBytesForTempFiles should be(12)
     options.schemaMatchColumnName should be("matchesSchema")
   }
diff --git a/src/test/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/parser/ExcelParserTests.scala b/src/test/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/parser/ExcelParserTests.scala
index 31442d9..b5f9606 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/parser/ExcelParserTests.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/com/elastacloud/spark/excel/parser/ExcelParserTests.scala
@@ -591,4 +591,42 @@ class ExcelParserTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers {
       the[ExcelParserException] thrownBy parser.getDataIterator.toList should have message "The specified schema match column is not defined as a boolean type."
     }
   }
+
+  "Specifying a null value" should "read the string value as null" in {
+    withInputStream("/Parser/SimpleWorkbook.xlsx") { inputStream =>
+      val options = new ExcelParserOptions(Map[String, String](
+        "nullValue" -> "y"
+      ))
+
+      val expectedData = Seq(
+        Vector[Any]("a".asUnsafe, 1D, "x".asUnsafe),
+        Vector[Any]("b".asUnsafe, 2D, null),
+        Vector[Any]("c".asUnsafe, 3D, "z".asUnsafe)
+      )
+
+      val parser = new ExcelParser(inputStream, options)
+      val actualData = parser.getDataIterator.toList
+
+      actualData should equal(expectedData)
+    }
+  }
+
+  it should "Handle string concatenation formulas" in {
+    withInputStream("/Parser/ConcatString.xlsx") { inputStream =>
+      val options = new ExcelParserOptions(Map[String, String](
+        "nullValue" -> "MR ADAM FOX"
+      ))
+
+      val expectedData = Seq(
+        Vector[Any]("Dr".asUnsafe, "Jennifer".asUnsafe, "Alagora".asUnsafe, "Dr Jennifer Alagora".asUnsafe),
+        Vector[Any]("Mr".asUnsafe, "Adam".asUnsafe, "Fox".asUnsafe, null),
+        Vector[Any]("Ms".asUnsafe, null, "Proctor".asUnsafe, "Ms Proctor".asUnsafe)
+      )
+
+      val parser = new ExcelParser(inputStream, options)
+
+      val actualData = parser.getDataIterator.toList
+      actualData should equal(expectedData)
+    }
+  }
 }