diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/GroupVersioned.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/GroupVersioned.kt
index 607cfd930..3673e9cfb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/GroupVersioned.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/GroupVersioned.kt
@@ -292,11 +292,11 @@ class GroupVersioned : NodeVersioned, PwGroupInterface<GroupVersioned, EntryVers
         pwGroupV4?.nodeId = id
     }
 
-    fun setEnableAutoType(enableAutoType: Boolean) {
+    fun setEnableAutoType(enableAutoType: Boolean?) {
         pwGroupV4?.enableAutoType = enableAutoType
     }
 
-    fun setEnableSearching(enableSearching: Boolean) {
+    fun setEnableSearching(enableSearching: Boolean?) {
         pwGroupV4?.enableSearching = enableSearching
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/PwDatabaseV4XML.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/PwDatabaseV4XML.kt
index b6047f8a1..56c2e810d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/PwDatabaseV4XML.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/PwDatabaseV4XML.kt
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ object PwDatabaseV4XML {
 
     const val ValFalse = "False"
     const val ValTrue = "True"
+    const val ValNull = "Null"
 
     const val ElemCustomData = "CustomData"
     const val ElemStringDictExItem = "Item"
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/PwGroupV4.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/PwGroupV4.kt
index 276edd802..ed0ef76f7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/PwGroupV4.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/element/PwGroupV4.kt
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ class PwGroupV4 : PwGroup<UUID, PwGroupV4, PwEntryV4>, PwNodeV4Interface {
     var notes = ""
     var isExpanded = true
     var defaultAutoTypeSequence = ""
-    var enableAutoType: Boolean = true
-    var enableSearching: Boolean = true
+    var enableAutoType: Boolean? = null
+    var enableSearching: Boolean? = null
     var lastTopVisibleEntry: UUID = PwDatabase.UUID_ZERO
 
     override val type: Type
@@ -70,8 +70,10 @@ class PwGroupV4 : PwGroup<UUID, PwGroupV4, PwEntryV4>, PwNodeV4Interface {
         notes = parcel.readString() ?: notes
         isExpanded = parcel.readByte().toInt() != 0
         defaultAutoTypeSequence = parcel.readString() ?: defaultAutoTypeSequence
-        enableAutoType = parcel.readByte().toInt() != 0
-        enableSearching = parcel.readByte().toInt() != 0
+        val isAutoTypeEnabled = parcel.readInt()
+        enableAutoType = if (isAutoTypeEnabled == -1) null else isAutoTypeEnabled == 1
+        val isSearchingEnabled = parcel.readInt()
+        enableSearching = if (isSearchingEnabled == -1) null else isSearchingEnabled == 1
         lastTopVisibleEntry = parcel.readSerializable() as UUID
     }
 
@@ -92,8 +94,8 @@ class PwGroupV4 : PwGroup<UUID, PwGroupV4, PwEntryV4>, PwNodeV4Interface {
         dest.writeString(notes)
         dest.writeByte((if (isExpanded) 1 else 0).toByte())
         dest.writeString(defaultAutoTypeSequence)
-        dest.writeByte((if (enableAutoType) 1 else 0).toByte())
-        dest.writeByte((if (enableSearching) 1 else 0).toByte())
+        dest.writeInt(if (enableAutoType == null) -1 else if (enableAutoType!!) 1 else 0)
+        dest.writeInt(if (enableSearching == null) -1 else if (enableSearching!!) 1 else 0)
         dest.writeSerializable(lastTopVisibleEntry)
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/load/Importer.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/load/Importer.kt
index ccd24df4c..1eec9700e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/load/Importer.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/load/Importer.kt
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ abstract class Importer<PwDb : PwDatabase<*, *>> {
      * @throws InvalidDBException on database error.
      */
     @Throws(IOException::class, InvalidDBException::class)
-    abstract fun openDatabase(databaseInputStream: InputStream, password: String?, keyInputStream: InputStream?, progressTaskUpdater: ProgressTaskUpdater?): PwDb
+    abstract fun openDatabase(databaseInputStream: InputStream,
+                              password: String?,
+                              keyInputStream: InputStream?,
+                              progressTaskUpdater: ProgressTaskUpdater?): PwDb
 
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/load/ImporterV4.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/load/ImporterV4.kt
index 71b5c4205..d3f242dc5 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/load/ImporterV4.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/load/ImporterV4.kt
@@ -490,9 +490,9 @@ class ImporterV4(private val streamDir: File) : Importer<PwDatabaseV4>() {
             } else if (name.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ElemGroupDefaultAutoTypeSeq, ignoreCase = true)) {
                 ctxGroup?.defaultAutoTypeSequence = readString(xpp)
             } else if (name.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ElemEnableAutoType, ignoreCase = true)) {
-                ctxGroup?.enableAutoType = stringToBoolean(readString(xpp))
+                ctxGroup?.enableAutoType = readOptionalBool(xpp)
             } else if (name.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ElemEnableSearching, ignoreCase = true)) {
-                ctxGroup?.enableSearching = stringToBoolean(readString(xpp))
+                ctxGroup?.enableSearching = readOptionalBool(xpp)
             } else if (name.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ElemLastTopVisibleEntry, ignoreCase = true)) {
                 ctxGroup?.lastTopVisibleEntry = readUuid(xpp)
             } else if (name.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ElemCustomData, ignoreCase = true)) {
@@ -847,7 +847,23 @@ class ImporterV4(private val streamDir: File) : Importer<PwDatabaseV4>() {
     private fun readBool(xpp: XmlPullParser, bDefault: Boolean): Boolean {
         val str = readString(xpp)
 
-        return str.equals("true", ignoreCase = true) || !str.equals("false", ignoreCase = true) && bDefault
+        return when {
+            str.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ValTrue, ignoreCase = true) -> true
+            str.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ValFalse, ignoreCase = true) -> false
+            else -> bDefault
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Throws(IOException::class, XmlPullParserException::class)
+    private fun readOptionalBool(xpp: XmlPullParser, bDefault: Boolean? = null): Boolean? {
+        val str = readString(xpp)
+
+        return when {
+            str.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ValTrue, ignoreCase = true) -> true
+            str.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ValFalse, ignoreCase = true) -> false
+            str.equals(PwDatabaseV4XML.ValNull, ignoreCase = true) -> null
+            else -> bDefault
+        }
     }
 
     @Throws(IOException::class, XmlPullParserException::class)
@@ -1032,22 +1048,6 @@ class ImporterV4(private val streamDir: File) : Importer<PwDatabaseV4>() {
         return ctxNew
     }
 
-
-    private fun stringToBoolean(str: String?): Boolean {
-        if (str == null || str.isEmpty()) {
-            return false
-        }
-
-        val trimmed = str.trim { it <= ' ' }
-        if (trimmed.equals("true", ignoreCase = true)) {
-            return true
-        } else if (trimmed.equals("false", ignoreCase = true)) {
-            return false
-        }
-
-        return false
-    }
-
     companion object {
 
         private const val DEFAULT_HISTORY_DAYS: Long = 365
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/save/PwDbV4Output.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/save/PwDbV4Output.kt
index 4c4977b60..5ec421bce 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/save/PwDbV4Output.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/kunzisoft/keepass/database/file/save/PwDbV4Output.kt
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ class PwDbV4Output(private val mDatabaseV4: PwDatabaseV4, outputStream: OutputSt
     @Throws(IllegalArgumentException::class, IllegalStateException::class, IOException::class)
     private fun writeObject(name: String, value: Boolean?) {
         val text: String = when {
-            value == null -> "null"
+            value == null -> PwDatabaseV4XML.ValNull
             value -> PwDatabaseV4XML.ValTrue
             else -> PwDatabaseV4XML.ValFalse
         }