diff --git a/packages/check/match.js b/packages/check/match.js
index d356440ecf..9244fda8ef 100644
--- a/packages/check/match.js
+++ b/packages/check/match.js
@@ -115,7 +115,9 @@ var Optional = function (pattern) {
   this.pattern = pattern;
 };
 
-var Maybe = Optional;
+var Maybe = function (pattern) {
+  this.pattern = pattern;
+};
 
 var OneOf = function (choices) {
   if (_.isEmpty(choices))
diff --git a/packages/check/match_test.js b/packages/check/match_test.js
index ab34d5a3d1..1790dfd175 100644
--- a/packages/check/match_test.js
+++ b/packages/check/match_test.js
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ Tinytest.add("check - check", function (test) {
           }
         }));
       }
+      if ( type !== null ) fails(null, Match.Optional(type)); // Optional doesn't allow null, but does match on null type
       fails(pair[0], [type]);
       fails(pair[0], Object);
     });
@@ -98,15 +99,42 @@ Tinytest.add("check - check", function (test) {
   fails({a: 1, b:2}, Match.ObjectIncluding({b: String}));
   fails({a: 1, b:2}, Match.ObjectIncluding({c: String}));
   fails({}, {a: Number});
+
+  // Match.Optional does not match on a null value, unless the allowed type is itself "null"
+  fails(null, Match.Optional(String));
+  fails(null, Match.Optional(undefined));
+  matches(null, Match.Optional(null));
+
+  // on the other hand, undefined, works fine for all of them
+  matches(undefined, Match.Optional(String));
+  matches(undefined, Match.Optional(undefined));
+  matches(undefined, Match.Optional(null));
+
+  fails(true, Match.Optional(String)); // different should still fail
+  matches("String", Match.Optional(String)); // same should pass
+
   matches({}, {a: Match.Optional(Number)});
   matches({a: 1}, {a: Match.Optional(Number)});
   fails({a: true}, {a: Match.Optional(Number)});
+  fails({a: undefined}, {a: Match.Optional(Number)});
+
+  // .Maybe requires undefined, null or the allowed type in order to match
+  matches(null, Match.Maybe(String));
+  matches(null, Match.Maybe(undefined));
+  matches(null, Match.Maybe(null));
+
+  matches(undefined, Match.Maybe(String));
+  matches(undefined, Match.Maybe(undefined));
+  matches(undefined, Match.Maybe(null));
+
+  fails(true, Match.Maybe(String)); // different should still fail
+  matches("String", Match.Maybe(String)); // same should pass
+
   matches({}, {a: Match.Maybe(Number)});
   matches({a: 1}, {a: Match.Maybe(Number)});
   fails({a: true}, {a: Match.Maybe(Number)});
   // Match.Optional means "or undefined" at the top level but "or absent" in
   // objects.
-  fails({a: undefined}, {a: Match.Optional(Number)});
   // Match.Maybe should behave the same as Match.Optional in objects
   // including handling nulls
   fails({a: undefined}, {a: Match.Maybe(Number)});