diff --git a/src/providers/grass/qgis.r.in.cpp b/src/providers/grass/qgis.r.in.cpp
index 158fb65360f1..52c97dd93c73 100644
--- a/src/providers/grass/qgis.r.in.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/grass/qgis.r.in.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ extern "C"
 #define G_short_history Rast_short_history
 #define G_command_history Rast_command_history
 #define G_write_history Rast_write_history
+#define G_set_c_null_value Rast_set_c_null_value
+#define G_set_f_null_value Rast_set_f_null_value
+#define G_set_d_null_value Rast_set_d_null_value
 #define G_set_raster_value_c Rast_set_c_value
 #define G_set_raster_value_f Rast_set_f_value
 #define G_set_raster_value_d Rast_set_d_value
@@ -162,6 +165,8 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
     {
       break;
     }
+    double noDataValue;
+    stdinStream >> noDataValue;
     stdinStream >> byteArray;
     checkStream( stdinStream );
 
@@ -185,11 +190,38 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
     for ( int col = 0; col < cols; col++ )
     {
       if ( grass_type == CELL_TYPE )
-        G_set_raster_value_c( ptr, ( CELL )cell[col], grass_type );
+      {
+        if (( CELL )cell[col] == ( CELL )noDataValue )
+        {
+          G_set_c_null_value(( CELL* )ptr, 1 );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+          G_set_raster_value_c( ptr, ( CELL )( cell[col] ), grass_type );
+        }
+      }
       else if ( grass_type == FCELL_TYPE )
-        G_set_raster_value_f( ptr, ( FCELL )fcell[col], grass_type );
+      {
+        if (( FCELL )fcell[col] == ( FCELL )noDataValue )
+        {
+          G_set_f_null_value(( FCELL* )ptr, 1 );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+          G_set_raster_value_f( ptr, ( FCELL )( fcell[col] ), grass_type );
+        }
+      }
       else if ( grass_type == DCELL_TYPE )
-        G_set_raster_value_d( ptr, ( DCELL )dcell[col], grass_type );
+      {
+        if (( DCELL )dcell[col] == ( DCELL )noDataValue )
+        {
+          G_set_d_null_value(( DCELL* )ptr, 1 );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+          G_set_raster_value_d( ptr, ( DCELL )dcell[col], grass_type );
+        }
+      }
 
       ptr = G_incr_void_ptr( ptr, G_raster_size( grass_type ) );
     }
diff --git a/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassimport.cpp b/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassimport.cpp
index f036482f197d..ef0b04a55dd7 100644
--- a/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassimport.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassimport.cpp
@@ -273,6 +273,37 @@ bool QgsGrassRasterImport::import()
           delete block;
           return false;
         }
+        // prepare null values
+        double noDataValue;
+        if ( block->hasNoDataValue() )
+        {
+          noDataValue = block->noDataValue();
+        }
+        else
+        {
+          switch ( qgis_out_type )
+          {
+            case QGis::Int32:
+              noDataValue = -2147483648.0;
+              break;
+            case QGis::Float32:
+              noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<float>::max() * -1.0;
+              break;
+            case QGis::Float64:
+              noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<double>::max() * -1.0;
+              break;
+            default: // should not happen
+              noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<double>::max() * -1.0;
+          }
+          for ( qgssize i = 0; i < ( qgssize )block->width()*block->height(); i++ )
+          {
+            if ( block->isNoData( i ) )
+            {
+              block->setValue( i, noDataValue );
+            }
+          }
+        }
+
         char * data = block->bits( row, 0 );
         int size = iterCols * block->dataTypeSize();
         QByteArray byteArray = QByteArray::fromRawData( data, size ); // does not copy data and does not take ownership
@@ -282,6 +313,8 @@ bool QgsGrassRasterImport::import()
           break;
         }
         outStream << false; // not canceled
+        outStream << noDataValue;
+
         outStream << byteArray;
 
         // Without waitForBytesWritten() it does not finish ok on Windows (process timeout)
diff --git a/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassprovidermodule.cpp b/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassprovidermodule.cpp
index d3d872bf5d31..17cc119bd3aa 100644
--- a/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassprovidermodule.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassprovidermodule.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ void QgsGrassMapsetItem::setState( State state )
 {
   QgsDebugMsg( "Entered" );
   QgsDirectoryItem::setState( state );
-
+  // TODO: verify and reenable, it seems to be causing strange icon switching during import, sometimes
+#if 0
   if ( state == Populated )
   {
     if ( !mMapsetFileSystemWatcher )
@@ -135,6 +136,7 @@ void QgsGrassMapsetItem::setState( State state )
       mMapsetFileSystemWatcher = 0;
     }
   }
+#endif
 }
 
 bool QgsGrassMapsetItem::objectInImports( QgsGrassObject grassObject )