diff --git a/base/exports.jl b/base/exports.jl
index a9f2149c8475b..e39359ec2accd 100644
--- a/base/exports.jl
+++ b/base/exports.jl
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ export
     MathConst,
     Matrix,
     MergeSort,
+    Nullable,
     ObjectIdDict,
     OrdinalRange,
     PollingFileWatcher,
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ export
     KeyError,
     LoadError,
     MethodError,
+    NullException,
     ParseError,
     ProcessExitedException,
     SystemError,
@@ -195,7 +197,7 @@ export
     ≠,
     !==,
     ≡,
-    ≢, 
+    ≢,
     $,
     %,
     &,
@@ -962,7 +964,7 @@ export
     rfft,
     xcorr,
 
-#   numerical integration
+# numerical integration
     quadgk,
 
 # iteration
@@ -1008,7 +1010,7 @@ export
     toc,
     toq,
 
-#dates
+# dates
     Date,
     DateTime,
     now,
@@ -1226,7 +1228,7 @@ export
 # shared arrays
     sdata,
     indexpids,
-    
+
 # paths and file names
     abspath,
     basename,
@@ -1320,6 +1322,12 @@ export
     unsafe_pointer_to_objref,
     unsafe_store!,
 
+# nullable types
+    isnull,
+    NotNull,
+    Null,
+    unsafe_get,
+
 # Macros
     @__FILE__,
     @b_str,
diff --git a/base/nullable.jl b/base/nullable.jl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..62ffb5fb1e3dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/nullable.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+immutable Nullable{T}
+    isnull::Bool
+    value::T
+
+    Nullable() = new(true)
+    Nullable(value::T) = new(false, value)
+end
+
+immutable NullException <: Exception
+end
+
+Null{T}(::Type{T}) = Nullable{T}()
+
+NotNull{T}(value::T) = Nullable{T}(value)
+
+function show{T}(io::IO, x::Nullable{T})
+    if x.isnull
+        @printf(io, "Null(%s)", repr(T))
+    else
+        @printf(io, "NotNull(%s)", repr(x.value))
+    end
+end
+
+get(x::Nullable) = x.isnull ? throw(NullException()) : x.value
+
+get{S, T}(x::Nullable{S}, y::T) = x.isnull ? convert(S, y) : x.value
+
+unsafe_get(x::Nullable) = x.value
+
+isnull(x::Nullable) = x.isnull
+
+function isequal{S, T}(x::Nullable{S}, y::Nullable{T})
+    if x.isnull && y.isnull
+        return true
+    elseif x.isnull || y.isnull
+        return false
+    else
+        return isequal(x.value, y.value)
+    end
+end
+
+=={S, T}(x::Nullable{S}, y::Nullable{T}) = throw(NullException())
+
+function hash(x::Nullable, h::Uint)
+    if x.isnull
+        return h + uint(0x932e0143e51d0171)
+    else
+        return hash(x.value, h + uint(0x932e0143e51d0171))
+    end
+end
diff --git a/base/sysimg.jl b/base/sysimg.jl
index c9b6694af79fc..94dc3a0c1ee7f 100644
--- a/base/sysimg.jl
+++ b/base/sysimg.jl
@@ -271,6 +271,9 @@ importall .Profile
 include("Dates.jl")
 import .Dates: Date, DateTime, now
 
+# nullable types
+include("nullable.jl")
+
 function __init__()
     # Base library init
     reinit_stdio()
diff --git a/test/nullable.jl b/test/nullable.jl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2944744fd0e55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/nullable.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+types = [
+    Bool,
+    Char,
+    Float16,
+    Float32,
+    Float64,
+    Int128,
+    Int16,
+    Int32,
+    Int64,
+    Int8,
+    Uint16,
+    Uint32,
+    Uint64,
+    Uint8,
+]
+
+# Nullable{T}() = new(true)
+for T in types
+    x = Nullable{T}()
+    @test x.isnull === true
+    @test isa(x.value, T)
+end
+
+# Nullable{T}(value::T) = new(false, value)
+for T in types
+    x = Nullable{T}(zero(T))
+    @test x.isnull === false
+    @test isa(x.value, T)
+    @test x.value === zero(T)
+
+    x = Nullable{T}(one(T))
+    @test x.isnull === false
+    @test isa(x.value, T)
+    @test x.value === one(T)
+end
+
+# immutable NullException <: Exception
+@test isa(NullException(), NullException)
+@test_throws NullException throw(NullException())
+
+# Null{T}(::Type{T}) = Nullable{T}()
+for T in types
+    x = Null(T)
+    @test x.isnull === true
+    @test isa(x.value, T)
+end
+
+# NotNull{T}(value::T) = Nullable{T}(value)
+for T in types
+    v = zero(T)
+    x = NotNull(v)
+    @test x.isnull === false
+    @test isa(x.value, T)
+    @test x.value === v
+
+    v = one(T)
+    x = NotNull(v)
+    @test x.isnull === false
+    @test isa(x.value, T)
+    @test x.value === v
+end
+
+p1s = [
+    "Null(Bool)",
+    "Null(Char)",
+    "Null(Float16)",
+    "Null(Float32)",
+    "Null(Float64)",
+    "Null(Int128)",
+    "Null(Int16)",
+    "Null(Int32)",
+    "Null(Int64)",
+    "Null(Int8)",
+    "Null(Uint16)",
+    "Null(Uint32)",
+    "Null(Uint64)",
+    "Null(Uint8)",
+]
+
+p2s = [
+    "NotNull(false)",
+    "NotNull('\0')",
+    "NotNull(float16(0.0))",
+    "NotNull(0.0f0)",
+    "NotNull(0.0)",
+    "NotNull(0)",
+    "NotNull(0)",
+    "NotNull(0)",
+    "NotNull(0)",
+    "NotNull(0)",
+    "NotNull(0x0000)",
+    "NotNull(0x00000000)",
+    "NotNull(0x0000000000000000)",
+    "NotNull(0x00)",
+]
+
+p3s = [
+    "NotNull(true)",
+    "NotNull('\x01')",
+    "NotNull(float16(1.0))",
+    "NotNull(1.0f0)",
+    "NotNull(1.0)",
+    "NotNull(1)",
+    "NotNull(1)",
+    "NotNull(1)",
+    "NotNull(1)",
+    "NotNull(1)",
+    "NotNull(0x0001)",
+    "NotNull(0x00000001)",
+    "NotNull(0x0000000000000001)",
+    "NotNull(0x01)",
+]
+
+# show{T}(io::IO, x::Nullable{T})
+io = IOBuffer()
+for (i, T) in enumerate(types)
+    x1 = Null(T)
+    x2 = NotNull(zero(T))
+    x3 = NotNull(one(T))
+    show(io, x1)
+    takebuf_string(io) == p1s[i]
+    show(io, x2)
+    takebuf_string(io) == p2s[i]
+    show(io, x3)
+    takebuf_string(io) == p3s[i]
+end
+
+# get(x::Nullable)
+for T in types
+    x1 = Null(T)
+    x2 = NotNull(zero(T))
+    x3 = NotNull(one(T))
+
+    @test_throws NullException get(x1)
+    @test get(x2) === zero(T)
+    @test get(x3) === one(T)
+end
+
+# get{S, T}(x::Nullable{S}, y::T)
+for T in types
+    x1 = Null(T)
+    x2 = NotNull(zero(T))
+    x3 = NotNull(one(T))
+
+    @test get(x1, zero(T)) === zero(T)
+    @test get(x1, one(T)) === one(T)
+    @test get(x2, one(T)) === zero(T)
+    @test get(x3, zero(T)) === one(T)
+end
+
+# unsafe_get(x::Nullable)
+for T in types
+    x1 = Null(T)
+    x2 = NotNull(zero(T))
+    x3 = NotNull(one(T))
+
+    @test isa(unsafe_get(x1), T)
+    @test isa(unsafe_get(x2), T)
+    @test isa(unsafe_get(x3), T)
+end
+
+# isnull(x::Nullable)
+for T in types
+    x1 = Null(T)
+    x2 = NotNull(zero(T))
+    x3 = NotNull(one(T))
+
+    @test isnull(x1) === true
+    @test isnull(x2) === false
+    @test isnull(x3) === false
+end
+
+# function isequal{S, T}(x::Nullable{S}, y::Nullable{T})
+for T in types
+    x1 = Null(T)
+    x2 = Null(T)
+    x3 = NotNull(zero(T))
+    x4 = NotNull(one(T))
+
+    @test isequal(x1, x1) === true
+    @test isequal(x1, x2) === true
+    @test isequal(x1, x3) === false
+    @test isequal(x1, x4) === false
+
+    @test isequal(x2, x1) === true
+    @test isequal(x2, x2) === true
+    @test isequal(x2, x3) === false
+    @test isequal(x2, x4) === false
+
+    @test isequal(x3, x1) === false
+    @test isequal(x3, x2) === false
+    @test isequal(x3, x3) === true
+    @test isequal(x3, x4) === false
+
+    @test isequal(x4, x1) === false
+    @test isequal(x4, x2) === false
+    @test isequal(x4, x3) === false
+    @test isequal(x4, x4) === true
+end
+
+# function =={S, T}(x::Nullable{S}, y::Nullable{T})
+for T in types
+    x1 = Null(T)
+    x2 = Null(T)
+    x3 = NotNull(zero(T))
+    x4 = NotNull(one(T))
+
+    @test_throws NullException (x1 == x1)
+    @test_throws NullException (x1 == x2)
+    @test_throws NullException (x1 == x3)
+    @test_throws NullException (x1 == x4)
+
+    @test_throws NullException (x2 == x1)
+    @test_throws NullException (x2 == x2)
+    @test_throws NullException (x2 == x3)
+    @test_throws NullException (x2 == x4)
+
+    @test_throws NullException (x3 == x1)
+    @test_throws NullException (x3 == x2)
+    @test_throws NullException (x3 == x3)
+    @test_throws NullException (x3 == x4)
+
+    @test_throws NullException (x4 == x1)
+    @test_throws NullException (x4 == x2)
+    @test_throws NullException (x4 == x3)
+    @test_throws NullException (x4 == x4)
+end
+
+# function hash(x::Nullable, h::Uint)
+for T in types
+    x1 = Null(T)
+    x2 = Null(T)
+    x3 = NotNull(zero(T))
+    x4 = NotNull(one(T))
+
+    @test isa(hash(x1), Uint)
+    @test isa(hash(x2), Uint)
+    @test isa(hash(x3), Uint)
+    @test isa(hash(x4), Uint)
+
+    @test hash(x1) == hash(x2)
+    @test hash(x1) != hash(x3)
+    @test hash(x1) != hash(x4)
+    @test hash(x2) != hash(x3)
+    @test hash(x2) != hash(x4)
+    @test hash(x3) != hash(x4)
+end