diff --git a/src/database.cc b/src/database.cc
index 3602538e38c..673592a610c 100644
--- a/src/database.cc
+++ b/src/database.cc
@@ -214,8 +214,8 @@ v8::Handle<v8::Value> Database::Put (const v8::Arguments& args) {
 
   LD_METHOD_SETUP_COMMON(put, 2, 3)
 
-  LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(0, Key)
-  LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(1, Value)
+  LD_CB_ERR_IF_OPTION_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(0, Key)
+  LD_CB_ERR_IF_OPTION_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(1, Value)
 
   v8::Local<v8::Value> keyBufferV = args[0];
   v8::Local<v8::Value> valueBufferV = args[1];
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ v8::Handle<v8::Value> Database::Get (const v8::Arguments& args) {
 
   LD_METHOD_SETUP_COMMON(put, 1, 2)
 
-  LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(0, Key)
+  LD_CB_ERR_IF_OPTION_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(0, Key)
 
   v8::Local<v8::Value> keyBufferV = args[0];
   LD_STRING_OR_BUFFER_TO_SLICE(key, keyBufferV, Key)
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ v8::Handle<v8::Value> Database::Delete (const v8::Arguments& args) {
 
   LD_METHOD_SETUP_COMMON(put, 1, 2)
 
-  LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(0, Key)
+  LD_CB_ERR_IF_OPTION_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(0, Key)
 
   v8::Local<v8::Value> keyBufferV = args[0];
   LD_STRING_OR_BUFFER_TO_SLICE(key, keyBufferV, Key)
@@ -320,10 +320,11 @@ v8::Handle<v8::Value> Database::Batch (const v8::Arguments& args) {
       continue;
 
     v8::Local<v8::Object> obj = v8::Local<v8::Object>::Cast(array->Get(i));
-    if (!obj->Has(str_type) || !obj->Has(str_key))
-      continue;
+
+    LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(obj->Get(str_type), type)
 
     v8::Local<v8::Value> keyBuffer = obj->Get(str_key);
+    LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(keyBuffer, key)
 
     if (obj->Get(str_type)->StrictEquals(str_del)) {
       LD_STRING_OR_BUFFER_TO_SLICE(key, keyBuffer, Key)
@@ -332,8 +333,9 @@ v8::Handle<v8::Value> Database::Batch (const v8::Arguments& args) {
           key
         , v8::Persistent<v8::Value>::New(keyBuffer)
       ));
-    } else if (obj->Get(str_type)->StrictEquals(str_put) && obj->Has(str_value)) {
+    } else if (obj->Get(str_type)->StrictEquals(str_put)) {
       v8::Local<v8::Value> valueBuffer = obj->Get(str_value);
+      LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(valueBuffer, value)
 
       LD_STRING_OR_BUFFER_TO_SLICE(key, keyBuffer, Key)
       LD_STRING_OR_BUFFER_TO_SLICE(value, valueBuffer, Value)
@@ -377,8 +379,8 @@ v8::Handle<v8::Value> Database::ApproximateSize (const v8::Arguments& args) {
 
   LD_METHOD_SETUP_COMMON(approximateSize, -1, 2)
 
-  LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(0, Start)
-  LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(1, End)
+  LD_CB_ERR_IF_OPTION_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(0, Start)
+  LD_CB_ERR_IF_OPTION_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(1, End)
 
   LD_STRING_OR_BUFFER_TO_SLICE(start, startBufferV, Start)
   LD_STRING_OR_BUFFER_TO_SLICE(end, endBufferV, End)
diff --git a/src/leveldown.h b/src/leveldown.h
index 3f2f1d1767c..38e3feeb6b5 100644
--- a/src/leveldown.h
+++ b/src/leveldown.h
@@ -12,17 +12,20 @@
 #define LD_V8_METHOD(name) \
   static v8::Handle<v8::Value> name (const v8::Arguments& args);
 
-#define LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(index, name) \
-  if (args[index]->IsNull() || args[index]->IsUndefined()) { \
+#define LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(thing, name) \
+  if (thing->IsNull() || thing->IsUndefined()) { \
     v8::Local<v8::Value> argv[] = { \
       v8::Local<v8::Value>::New(v8::Exception::Error( \
-        v8::String::New(#name " argument cannot be `null` or `undefined`")) \
+        v8::String::New(#name " cannot be `null` or `undefined`")) \
       ) \
     }; \
     LD_RUN_CALLBACK(callback, argv, 1); \
     return v8::Undefined(); \
   }
 
+#define LD_CB_ERR_IF_OPTION_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(index, name) \
+  LD_CB_ERR_IF_NULL_OR_UNDEFINED(args[index], name argument)
+
 #define LD_FROM_V8_STRING(to, from) \
   size_t to ## Sz_; \
   char* to; \
diff --git a/test/batch-test.js b/test/batch-test.js
index 985144b9524..71c68e7a775 100644
--- a/test/batch-test.js
+++ b/test/batch-test.js
@@ -52,27 +52,35 @@ test('test simple batch()', function (t) {
 
 test('test batch() with missing `value`', function (t) {
   db.batch([{ type: 'put', key: 'foo1' }], function (err) {
-    t.notOk(err, 'no error')
+    t.like(err.message, /value cannot be `null` or `undefined`/, 'correct error message')
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
 
-    db.get('foo1', function (err, value) {
-      t.ok(err, 'entry not found')
-      t.notOk(value, 'value not returned')
-      t.like(err.message, /NotFound/)
-      t.end()
-    })
+test('test batch() with null `value`', function (t) {
+  db.batch([{ type: 'put', key: 'foo1', value: null }], function (err) {
+    t.like(err.message, /value cannot be `null` or `undefined`/, 'correct error message')
+    t.end()
   })
 })
 
 test('test batch() with missing `key`', function (t) {
   db.batch([{ type: 'put', value: 'foo1' }], function (err) {
-    t.notOk(err, 'no error')
+    t.like(err.message, /key cannot be `null` or `undefined`/, 'correct error message')
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+test('test batch() with null `key`', function (t) {
+  db.batch([{ type: 'put', key: null, value: 'foo1' }], function (err) {
+    t.like(err.message, /key cannot be `null` or `undefined`/, 'correct error message')
     t.end()
   })
 })
 
 test('test batch() with missing `key` and `value`', function (t) {
   db.batch([{ type: 'put' }], function (err) {
-    t.notOk(err, 'no error')
+    t.like(err.message, /key cannot be `null` or `undefined`/, 'correct error message')
     t.end()
   })
 })