diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 10d6b08e..9b661ed1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 1.4.0-alpha.4 (WIP)
+
+* Make `AQL` trail placeholders default to explicit `null` values
+
 ## 1.4.0-alpha.3 (2024-02-25)
 
 * Also define the shared constants as globals in Hawkejs templates
diff --git a/lib/app/helper_datasource/00-nosql_datasource.js b/lib/app/helper_datasource/00-nosql_datasource.js
index de7a7500..299d0879 100644
--- a/lib/app/helper_datasource/00-nosql_datasource.js
+++ b/lib/app/helper_datasource/00-nosql_datasource.js
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@ NoSQL.setStatic(function convertAQLToConditions(query) {
 
 		switch (value.type) {
 			case 'name':
-				value = Trail.fromDot(value.value);
+				value = Trail.fromDot(value.value).ifNull(null);
 				break;
 			
 			case 'number':
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 55641619..b70a54cc 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"name": "alchemymvc",
 	"description": "MVC framework for Node.js",
-	"version": "1.4.0-alpha.3",
+	"version": "1.4.0-alpha.4",
 	"author": "Jelle De Loecker <jelle@elevenways.be>",
 	"keywords": [
 		"alchemy",