diff --git a/spec/v1/providers/database.spec.ts b/spec/v1/providers/database.spec.ts
index 27d5854c6..9c4130398 100644
--- a/spec/v1/providers/database.spec.ts
+++ b/spec/v1/providers/database.spec.ts
@@ -541,10 +541,6 @@ describe('Database Functions', () => {
         expect(subject.val()).to.equal(0);
         populate({ myKey: 0 });
         expect(subject.val()).to.deep.equal({ myKey: 0 });
-
-        // Null values are still reported as null.
-        populate({ myKey: null });
-        expect(subject.val()).to.deep.equal({ myKey: null });
       });
 
       // Regression test: .val() was returning array of nulls when there's a property called length (BUG#37683995)
@@ -552,6 +548,45 @@ describe('Database Functions', () => {
         populate({ length: 3, foo: 'bar' });
         expect(subject.val()).to.deep.equal({ length: 3, foo: 'bar' });
       });
+
+      it('should deal with null-values appropriately', () => {
+        populate(null);
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+
+        populate({ myKey: null });
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+      });
+
+      it('should deal with empty object values appropriately', () => {
+        populate({});
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+
+        populate({ myKey: {} });
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+
+        populate({ myKey: { child: null } });
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+      });
+
+      it('should deal with empty array values appropriately', () => {
+        populate([]);
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+
+        populate({ myKey: [] });
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+
+        populate({ myKey: [null] });
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+
+        populate({ myKey: [{}] });
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+
+        populate({ myKey: [{ myKey: null }] });
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+
+        populate({ myKey: [{ myKey: {} }] });
+        expect(subject.val()).to.be.null;
+      });
     });
 
     describe('#child(): DataSnapshot', () => {
@@ -578,14 +613,37 @@ describe('Database Functions', () => {
       });
 
       it('should be false for a non-existent value', () => {
-        populate({ a: { b: 'c' } });
+        populate({ a: { b: 'c', nullChild: null } });
         expect(subject.child('d').exists()).to.be.false;
+        expect(subject.child('nullChild').exists()).to.be.false;
       });
 
       it('should be false for a value pathed beyond a leaf', () => {
         populate({ a: { b: 'c' } });
         expect(subject.child('a/b/c').exists()).to.be.false;
       });
+
+      it('should be false for an empty object value', () => {
+        populate({ a: {} });
+        expect(subject.child('a').exists()).to.be.false;
+
+        populate({ a: { child: null } });
+        expect(subject.child('a').exists()).to.be.false;
+
+        populate({ a: { child: {} } });
+        expect(subject.child('a').exists()).to.be.false;
+      });
+
+      it('should be false for an empty array value', () => {
+        populate({ a: [] });
+        expect(subject.child('a').exists()).to.be.false;
+
+        populate({ a: [null] });
+        expect(subject.child('a').exists()).to.be.false;
+
+        populate({ a: [{}] });
+        expect(subject.child('a').exists()).to.be.false;
+      });
     });
 
     describe('#forEach(action: (a: DataSnapshot) => boolean): boolean', () => {
@@ -614,6 +672,17 @@ describe('Database Functions', () => {
 
         expect(subject.forEach(counter)).to.equal(false);
         expect(count).to.eq(0);
+
+        populate({
+          a: 'foo',
+          nullChild: null,
+          emptyObjectChild: {},
+          emptyArrayChild: [],
+        });
+        count = 0;
+
+        expect(subject.forEach(counter)).to.equal(false);
+        expect(count).to.eq(1);
       });
 
       it('should cancel further enumeration if callback returns true', () => {
@@ -653,13 +722,51 @@ describe('Database Functions', () => {
 
     describe('#numChildren()', () => {
       it('should be key count for objects', () => {
-        populate({ a: 'b', c: 'd' });
+        populate({
+          a: 'b',
+          c: 'd',
+          nullChild: null,
+          emptyObjectChild: {},
+          emptyArrayChild: [],
+        });
         expect(subject.numChildren()).to.eq(2);
       });
 
       it('should be 0 for non-objects', () => {
         populate(23);
         expect(subject.numChildren()).to.eq(0);
+
+        populate({
+          nullChild: null,
+          emptyObjectChild: {},
+          emptyArrayChild: [],
+        });
+        expect(subject.numChildren()).to.eq(0);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('#hasChildren()', () => {
+      it('should true for objects', () => {
+        populate({
+          a: 'b',
+          c: 'd',
+          nullChild: null,
+          emptyObjectChild: {},
+          emptyArrayChild: [],
+        });
+        expect(subject.hasChildren()).to.be.true;
+      });
+
+      it('should be false for non-objects', () => {
+        populate(23);
+        expect(subject.hasChildren()).to.be.false;
+
+        populate({
+          nullChild: null,
+          emptyObjectChild: {},
+          emptyArrayChild: [],
+        });
+        expect(subject.hasChildren()).to.be.false;
       });
     });
 
@@ -671,9 +778,17 @@ describe('Database Functions', () => {
       });
 
       it('should return false if a child is missing', () => {
-        populate({ a: 'b' });
+        populate({
+          a: 'b',
+          nullChild: null,
+          emptyObjectChild: {},
+          emptyArrayChild: [],
+        });
         expect(subject.hasChild('c')).to.be.false;
         expect(subject.hasChild('a/b')).to.be.false;
+        expect(subject.hasChild('nullChild')).to.be.false;
+        expect(subject.hasChild('emptyObjectChild')).to.be.false;
+        expect(subject.hasChild('emptyArrayChild')).to.be.false;
       });
     });
 
@@ -703,11 +818,21 @@ describe('Database Functions', () => {
 
     describe('#toJSON(): Object', () => {
       it('should return the current value', () => {
-        populate({ a: 'b' });
+        populate({
+          a: 'b',
+          nullChild: null,
+          emptyObjectChild: {},
+          emptyArrayChild: [],
+        });
         expect(subject.toJSON()).to.deep.equal(subject.val());
       });
       it('should be stringifyable', () => {
-        populate({ a: 'b' });
+        populate({
+          a: 'b',
+          nullChild: null,
+          emptyObjectChild: {},
+          emptyArrayChild: [],
+        });
         expect(JSON.stringify(subject)).to.deep.equal('{"a":"b"}');
       });
     });
diff --git a/src/v1/providers/database.ts b/src/v1/providers/database.ts
index 372419169..868884d6d 100644
--- a/src/v1/providers/database.ts
+++ b/src/v1/providers/database.ts
@@ -471,7 +471,16 @@ export class DataSnapshot {
    * @return `true` if this `DataSnapshot` contains any data; otherwise, `false`.
    */
   exists(): boolean {
-    return !_.isNull(this.val());
+    const val = this.val();
+    if (_.isNull(val)) {
+      // Null value
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (_.isObjectLike(val) && _.isEmpty(val)) {
+      // Empty object/array
+      return false;
+    }
+    return true;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -512,7 +521,7 @@ export class DataSnapshot {
    */
   forEach(action: (a: DataSnapshot) => boolean | void): boolean {
     const val = this.val();
-    if (_.isPlainObject(val)) {
+    if (_.isObjectLike(val)) {
       return _.some(
         val,
         (value, key: string) => action(this.child(key)) === true
@@ -546,7 +555,7 @@ export class DataSnapshot {
    */
   hasChildren(): boolean {
     const val = this.val();
-    return _.isPlainObject(val) && _.keys(val).length > 0;
+    return _.isObjectLike(val) && !_.isEmpty(val);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -556,7 +565,7 @@ export class DataSnapshot {
    */
   numChildren(): number {
     const val = this.val();
-    return _.isPlainObject(val) ? Object.keys(val).length : 0;
+    return _.isObjectLike(val) ? _.keys(val).length : 0;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -588,7 +597,12 @@ export class DataSnapshot {
         continue;
       }
       const childNode = node[key];
-      obj[key] = this._checkAndConvertToArray(childNode);
+      const v = this._checkAndConvertToArray(childNode);
+      if (v === null) {
+        // Empty child node
+        continue;
+      }
+      obj[key] = v;
       numKeys++;
       const integerRegExp = /^(0|[1-9]\d*)$/;
       if (allIntegerKeys && integerRegExp.test(key)) {
@@ -598,6 +612,11 @@ export class DataSnapshot {
       }
     }
 
+    if (numKeys === 0) {
+      // Empty node
+      return null;
+    }
+
     if (allIntegerKeys && maxKey < 2 * numKeys) {
       // convert to array.
       const array: any = [];