diff --git a/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/main/java/android/util/TypedValue.java b/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/main/java/android/util/TypedValue.java
index 2498e486..29e56c9d 100644
--- a/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/main/java/android/util/TypedValue.java
+++ b/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/main/java/android/util/TypedValue.java
@@ -180,6 +180,17 @@ public class TypedValue {
 
 	/* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
 
+    /**
+     * {@link #TYPE_NULL} data indicating the value was not specified.
+     */
+    public static final int DATA_NULL_UNDEFINED = 0;
+    /**
+     * {@link #TYPE_NULL} data indicating the value was explicitly set to null.
+     */
+    public static final int DATA_NULL_EMPTY = 1;
+
+    /* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+
     /**
      * If {@link #density} is equal to this value, then the density should be
      * treated as the system's default density value:
diff --git a/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/main/java/brut/androlib/res/data/value/ResValueFactory.java b/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/main/java/brut/androlib/res/data/value/ResValueFactory.java
index 43a3f2e5..a8bb9453 100644
--- a/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/main/java/brut/androlib/res/data/value/ResValueFactory.java
+++ b/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/main/java/brut/androlib/res/data/value/ResValueFactory.java
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ public class ResValueFactory {
             throws AndrolibException {
         switch (type) {
             case TypedValue.TYPE_NULL:
+                if (value == TypedValue.DATA_NULL_EMPTY) { // Special case $empty as explicitly defined empty value
+                    return new ResStringValue(null, value);
+                }
                 return new ResReferenceValue(mPackage, 0, null);
             case TypedValue.TYPE_REFERENCE:
                 return newReference(value, rawValue);