diff --git a/OpenSSL/_util.py b/OpenSSL/_util.py
index de292bebf..5e2b2564f 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/_util.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/_util.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ def text(charp):
 
     :return: :class:`str`
     """
+    if not charp:
+        return ""
     return native(ffi.string(charp))
 
 
diff --git a/OpenSSL/test/test_util.py b/OpenSSL/test/test_util.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d92a3c75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenSSL/test/test_util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+from OpenSSL._util import exception_from_error_queue, lib
+from OpenSSL.test.util import TestCase
+
+
+
+class ErrorTests(TestCase):
+    """
+    Tests for handling of certain OpenSSL error cases.
+    """
+    def test_exception_from_error_queue_nonexistent_reason(self):
+        """
+        :py:func:`exception_from_error_queue` raises ``ValueError`` when it
+        encounters an OpenSSL error code which does not have a reason string.
+        """
+        lib.ERR_put_error(lib.ERR_LIB_EVP, 0, 1112, b"", 10)
+        exc = self.assertRaises(ValueError, exception_from_error_queue, ValueError)
+        self.assertEqual(exc.args[0][0][2], "")