diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-action/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/action/BasicFormatter.java b/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-action/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/action/BasicFormatter.java
index fec2a3ee621e1..838fcc32471de 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-action/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/action/BasicFormatter.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-action/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/action/BasicFormatter.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public enum FormatOption {
         private final Function<Object, String> apply;
 
         FormatOption(Function<Object, String> apply) {
-            this.apply = l -> l == null ? null : apply.apply(l);
+            this.apply = apply;
         }
 
         public final String apply(Object l) {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/action/BasicFormatterTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/action/BasicFormatterTests.java
index fcab7eedca801..bbbbd866fd411 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/action/BasicFormatterTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/action/BasicFormatterTests.java
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ public class BasicFormatterTests extends ESTestCase {
                     new ColumnInfo("", "foo", "string", 0),
                     new ColumnInfo("", "bar", "long", 15),
                     new ColumnInfo("", "15charwidename!", "double", 25),
+                    new ColumnInfo("", "null_field1", "integer", 0),
                     new ColumnInfo("", "superduperwidename!!!", "double", 25),
                     new ColumnInfo("", "baz", "keyword", 0),
-                    new ColumnInfo("", "date", "datetime", 24)),
+                    new ColumnInfo("", "date", "datetime", 24),
+                    new ColumnInfo("", "null_field2", "keyword", 0)),
             Arrays.asList(
-                Arrays.asList("15charwidedata!", 1, 6.888, 12, "rabbit", "1953-09-02T00:00:00.000Z"),
-                Arrays.asList("dog", 1.7976931348623157E308, 123124.888, 9912, "goat", "2000-03-15T21:34:37.443Z")));
+                Arrays.asList("15charwidedata!", 1, 6.888, null, 12, "rabbit", "1953-09-02T00:00:00.000Z", null),
+                Arrays.asList("dog", 1.7976931348623157E308, 123124.888, null, 9912, "goat", "2000-03-15T21:34:37.443Z", null)));
     private final BasicFormatter formatter = new BasicFormatter(firstResponse.columns(), firstResponse.rows(), format);
 
     /**
@@ -40,14 +42,14 @@ public class BasicFormatterTests extends ESTestCase {
     public void testFormatWithHeader() {
         String[] result = formatter.formatWithHeader(firstResponse.columns(), firstResponse.rows()).split("\n");
         assertThat(result, arrayWithSize(4));
-        assertEquals("      foo      |         bar          |15charwidename!|superduperwidename!!!|      baz      |"
-                + "          date          ", result[0]);
-        assertEquals("---------------+----------------------+---------------+---------------------+---------------+"
-                + "------------------------", result[1]);
-        assertEquals("15charwidedata!|1                     |6.888          |12                   |rabbit         |"
-                + "1953-09-02T00:00:00.000Z", result[2]);
-        assertEquals("dog            |1.7976931348623157E308|123124.888     |9912                 |goat           |"
-                + "2000-03-15T21:34:37.443Z", result[3]);
+        assertEquals("      foo      |         bar          |15charwidename!|  null_field1  |superduperwidename!!!|      baz      |"
+                + "          date          |  null_field2  ", result[0]);
+        assertEquals("---------------+----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------------+---------------+"
+                + "------------------------+---------------", result[1]);
+        assertEquals("15charwidedata!|1                     |6.888          |null           |12                   |rabbit         |"
+                + "1953-09-02T00:00:00.000Z|null           ", result[2]);
+        assertEquals("dog            |1.7976931348623157E308|123124.888     |null           |9912                 |goat           |"
+                + "2000-03-15T21:34:37.443Z|null           ", result[3]);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -57,13 +59,13 @@ public void testFormatWithHeader() {
     public void testFormatWithoutHeader() {
         String[] result = formatter.formatWithoutHeader(
                 Arrays.asList(
-                        Arrays.asList("ohnotruncateddata", 4, 1, 77, "wombat", "1955-01-21T01:02:03.342Z"),
-                        Arrays.asList("dog", 2, 123124.888, 9912, "goat", "2231-12-31T23:59:59.999Z"))).split("\n");
+                        Arrays.asList("ohnotruncateddata", 4, 1, null, 77, "wombat", "1955-01-21T01:02:03.342Z", null),
+                        Arrays.asList("dog", 2, 123124.888, null, 9912, "goat", "2231-12-31T23:59:59.999Z", null))).split("\n");
         assertThat(result, arrayWithSize(2));
-        assertEquals("ohnotruncatedd~|4                     |1              |77                   |wombat         |"
-                + "1955-01-21T01:02:03.342Z", result[0]);
-        assertEquals("dog            |2                     |123124.888     |9912                 |goat           |"
-                + "2231-12-31T23:59:59.999Z", result[1]);
+        assertEquals("ohnotruncatedd~|4                     |1              |null           |77                   |wombat         |"
+                + "1955-01-21T01:02:03.342Z|null           ", result[0]);
+        assertEquals("dog            |2                     |123124.888     |null           |9912                 |goat           |"
+                + "2231-12-31T23:59:59.999Z|null           ", result[1]);
     }
 
     /**