diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/util/Passphrase.java b/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/util/Passphrase.java
index 14a52478..f57474b0 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/util/Passphrase.java
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/util/Passphrase.java
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ public class Passphrase {
     /**
      * Create a {@link Passphrase} from a {@link String}.
      *
-     * @param password password
+     * @param password password that may be null
      * @return passphrase
      */
-    public static Passphrase fromPassword(String password) {
-        return new Passphrase(password.toCharArray());
+    public static Passphrase fromPassword(@Nullable String password) {
+        return new Passphrase(password == null ? null : password.toCharArray());
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/key/protection/PassphraseTest.java b/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/key/protection/PassphraseTest.java
index 637162c6..376b86b1 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/key/protection/PassphraseTest.java
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/key/protection/PassphraseTest.java
@@ -37,4 +37,11 @@ public class PassphraseTest {
         assertFalse(passphrase.isValid());
         assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, passphrase::getChars);
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testFromPasswordNull() {
+        Passphrase passphrase = Passphrase.fromPassword(null);
+        assertArrayEquals(null, passphrase.getChars());
+        assertTrue(passphrase.isValid());
+    }
 }