diff --git a/lib/core/option.py b/lib/core/option.py
index 4cf558b1b..8ab6e5ee1 100644
--- a/lib/core/option.py
+++ b/lib/core/option.py
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ from lib.core.exception import sqlmapSyntaxException
 from lib.core.exception import sqlmapUnsupportedDBMSException
 from lib.core.exception import sqlmapUserQuitException
 from lib.core.optiondict import optDict
+from lib.core.settings import DEFAULT_PAGE_ENCODING
 from lib.core.settings import IS_WIN
 from lib.core.settings import PLATFORM
 from lib.core.settings import PYVERSION
@@ -1142,7 +1143,7 @@ def __setKnowledgeBaseAttributes(flushAll=True):
     kb.osVersion       = None
     kb.osSP            = None
 
-    kb.pageEncoding    = None
+    kb.pageEncoding    = DEFAULT_PAGE_ENCODING
     kb.pageStable      = None
     kb.partRun         = None
     kb.proxyAuthHeader = None
diff --git a/lib/request/basic.py b/lib/request/basic.py
index e823a352c..67859a401 100644
--- a/lib/request/basic.py
+++ b/lib/request/basic.py
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ def decodePage(page, contentEncoding, contentType):
     Decode compressed/charset HTTP response
     """
 
+    if not page or (conf.nullConnection and len(page) < 2):
+        return getUnicode(page)
+
     if isinstance(contentEncoding, basestring) and contentEncoding.lower() in ('gzip', 'x-gzip', 'deflate'):
         if contentEncoding == 'deflate':
             # http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1089662/python-inflate-and-deflate-implementations