diff --git a/src/dict.cpp b/src/dict.cpp
index 847d2182..f1b8df84 100644
--- a/src/dict.cpp
+++ b/src/dict.cpp
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ object dict_base::get(object_cref k) const
 {
     if (check_exact(this))
     {
-        return object(detail::borrowed_reference(
-                          PyDict_GetItem(this->ptr(),k.ptr())));
+        PyObject* result = PyDict_GetItem(this->ptr(),k.ptr());
+        return object(detail::borrowed_reference(result ? result : Py_None));
     }
     else
     {
diff --git a/test/dict.cpp b/test/dict.cpp
index 538c7930..de6d4a86 100644
--- a/test/dict.cpp
+++ b/test/dict.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ void test_templates(object print)
     //print(tmp[1]);
     tmp[1.5] = 13;
     print(tmp.get(1.5));
+    print(tmp.get(44));
     print(tmp);
     print(tmp.get(2,"default"));
     print(tmp.has_key(key));
diff --git a/test/dict.py b/test/dict.py
index fdabf2c9..c99d2e9b 100644
--- a/test/dict.py
+++ b/test/dict.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 >>> test_templates(printer)
 a test string
 13
+None
 {1.5: 13, 1: 'a test string'}
 default
 0