diff --git a/core/imageboard/image.php b/core/imageboard/image.php
index 196c2079..2aafc217 100644
--- a/core/imageboard/image.php
+++ b/core/imageboard/image.php
@@ -90,12 +90,17 @@ class Image implements \ArrayAccess
                     $t = (new \ReflectionProperty($this, $name))->getType();
                     assert(!is_null($t));
                     if(is_a($t, \ReflectionNamedType::class)) {
-                        $this->$name = match($t->getName()) {
-                            "int" => is_null($value) ? $value : int_escape((string)$value),
-                            "bool" => is_null($value) ? $value : bool_escape((string)$value),
-                            "string" => (string)$value,
-                            default => $value,
-                        };
+                        if(is_null($value)) {
+                            $this->$name = null;
+                        } else {
+                            $this->$name = match($t->getName()) {
+                                "int" => int_escape((string)$value),
+                                "bool" => bool_escape((string)$value),
+                                "string" => (string)$value,
+                                default => $value,
+                            };
+                        }
+
                     }
                 } elseif(array_key_exists($name, static::$prop_types)) {
                     if (is_null($value)) {
diff --git a/core/tests/ImageTest.php b/core/tests/ImageTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8c860a9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/tests/ImageTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Shimmie2;
+
+require_once "core/imageboard/image.php";
+
+class ImageTest extends ShimmiePHPUnitTestCase
+{
+    public function testLoadData(): void
+    {
+        $this->log_in_as_user();
+        $image_id_1 = $this->post_image("tests/pbx_screenshot.jpg", "question? colon:thing exclamation!");
+        $image = Image::by_id($image_id_1);
+        $this->assertNull($image->source);
+    }
+}