diff --git a/core/src/com/google/zxing/client/result/VCardResultParser.java b/core/src/com/google/zxing/client/result/VCardResultParser.java
index 865fec419..047c3420b 100644
--- a/core/src/com/google/zxing/client/result/VCardResultParser.java
+++ b/core/src/com/google/zxing/client/result/VCardResultParser.java
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ final class VCardResultParser extends ResultParser {
   }
 
   private static boolean isLikeVCardDate(String value) {
+    if (value == null) {
+      return true;
+    }
     // Not really sure this is true but matches practice
     // Mach YYYYMMDD
     if (isStringOfDigits(value, 8)) {
diff --git a/core/test/src/com/google/zxing/client/result/ParsedReaderResultTestCase.java b/core/test/src/com/google/zxing/client/result/ParsedReaderResultTestCase.java
index f785e8924..5141bb845 100644
--- a/core/test/src/com/google/zxing/client/result/ParsedReaderResultTestCase.java
+++ b/core/test/src/com/google/zxing/client/result/ParsedReaderResultTestCase.java
@@ -181,8 +181,7 @@ public final class ParsedReaderResultTestCase extends TestCase {
         ParsedResultType.ADDRESSBOOK);
     doTestResult("BEGIN:VCARD\r\nADR;HOME:123 Main St\r\nVERSION:2.1\r\nN:Owen;Sean\r\nEND:VCARD",
         "Sean Owen\n123 Main St", ParsedResultType.ADDRESSBOOK);
-    doTestResult("BEGIN:VCARD", "begin:VCARD",
-        ParsedResultType.URI); // yeah we end up guessing "URI" here
+    doTestResult("BEGIN:VCARD", "", ParsedResultType.ADDRESSBOOK);
   }
 
   public void testVEvent() {