diff --git a/spec/gears/string_spec.lua b/spec/gears/string_spec.lua
index a696cbb2..9feeb60e 100644
--- a/spec/gears/string_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/gears/string_spec.lua
@@ -34,12 +34,14 @@ describe("gears.string", function()
         assert.is_true(gstring.startswith("something", ""))
         assert.is_true(gstring.startswith("something", "some"))
         assert.is_false(gstring.startswith("something", "none"))
+        assert.is_false(gstring.startswith(nil, "anything"))
     end)
 
     describe("endswith", function()
         assert.is_true(gstring.endswith("something", ""))
         assert.is_true(gstring.endswith("something", "thing"))
         assert.is_false(gstring.endswith("something", "that"))
+        assert.is_false(gstring.endswith(nil, "anything"))
     end)
 
     describe("split", function()
diff --git a/tests/examples/text/gears/string/endswith.lua b/tests/examples/text/gears/string/endswith.lua
index 7cddc51e..742a9988 100644
--- a/tests/examples/text/gears/string/endswith.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/text/gears/string/endswith.lua
@@ -10,3 +10,6 @@ res = gears.string.endswith(test,"do")
 print(tostring(res))
 assert(res == false) --DOC_HIDE
 
+res = gears.string.endswith(nil,"it")
+print(tostring(res))
+assert(res == false) --DOC_HIDE
diff --git a/tests/examples/text/gears/string/endswith.output.txt b/tests/examples/text/gears/string/endswith.output.txt
index da29283a..36bc6136 100644
--- a/tests/examples/text/gears/string/endswith.output.txt
+++ b/tests/examples/text/gears/string/endswith.output.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 true
 false
+false
diff --git a/tests/examples/text/gears/string/startswith.lua b/tests/examples/text/gears/string/startswith.lua
index f6254389..a0a45985 100644
--- a/tests/examples/text/gears/string/startswith.lua
+++ b/tests/examples/text/gears/string/startswith.lua
@@ -9,3 +9,7 @@ assert(res == true) --DOC_HIDE
 res = gears.string.startswith(test,"it")
 print(tostring(res)) -- print boolean value
 assert(res == false) --DOC_HIDE
+
+res = gears.string.startswith(nil,"do")
+print(tostring(res)) -- print boolean value
+assert(res == false) --DOC_HIDE
diff --git a/tests/examples/text/gears/string/startswith.output.txt b/tests/examples/text/gears/string/startswith.output.txt
index da29283a..36bc6136 100644
--- a/tests/examples/text/gears/string/startswith.output.txt
+++ b/tests/examples/text/gears/string/startswith.output.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 true
 false
+false