diff --git a/lib/util/atomhandler.js b/lib/util/atomhandler.js
index c98d7a41e..36a6fe71d 100644
--- a/lib/util/atomhandler.js
+++ b/lib/util/atomhandler.js
@@ -67,19 +67,22 @@ AtomHandler.prototype.parse = function (entityXml, innerTag) {
   }
 
   var propertiesXmlTag = this._xmlQualifyXmlTagName(innerTag, this.nsMeta);
-
   if (entityXml.content && entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag]) {
     for (var property in entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag]) {
-      if (property !== Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER) {
-        var propertyName = property;
-        if (property.indexOf(this.nsData) !== -1) {
-          propertyName = property.substr(2, property.length - 2);
-        }
+      var propertyName = property;
+      if (azureutil.stringStartsWith(propertyName, this.nsData + ':')) {
+        propertyName = property.substr(2, property.length - 2);
+      }
 
+      if (property !== Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER) {
         if (azureutil.objectIsEmpty(entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property])) {
           // Empty properties are represented as an empty string.
           entity[propertyName] = '';
-        } else if (entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_VALUE_MARKER]) {
+        } else if (entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER] !== undefined &&
+            entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER][this._xmlQualifyXmlTagName('null', this.nsMeta)] &&
+            entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER][this._xmlQualifyXmlTagName('null', this.nsMeta)] === 'true') {
+          entity[propertyName] = null;
+        } else if (entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_VALUE_MARKER] !== undefined) {
           // Has an entry for value
           if (entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER] &&
             entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER][this._xmlQualifyXmlTagName('type', this.nsMeta)]) {
@@ -89,10 +92,6 @@ AtomHandler.prototype.parse = function (entityXml, innerTag) {
               propertyName,
               entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_VALUE_MARKER],
               entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER][this._xmlQualifyXmlTagName('type', this.nsMeta)]);
-          } else if (entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER] &&
-            entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER][this._xmlQualifyXmlTagName('null', this.nsMeta)] && 
-            entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_METADATA_MARKER][this._xmlQualifyXmlTagName('null', this.nsMeta)] === 'true') {
-            entity[propertyName] = null;
           } else {
             // The situation where a value marker exists and no type / null metadata marker exists shouldn't happen, but, just in case ...
             entity[propertyName] = entityXml.content[propertiesXmlTag][property][Constants.XML_VALUE_MARKER];
diff --git a/test/util/atomhandler-tests.js b/test/util/atomhandler-tests.js
index ae8003e3f..0f7cc68a7 100644
--- a/test/util/atomhandler-tests.js
+++ b/test/util/atomhandler-tests.js
@@ -144,4 +144,103 @@ suite('atomhandler-tests', function () {
 
     done();
   });
+
+  test('Parse', function (done) {
+    var atomHandler = new AtomHandler('m', 'd');
+
+    var entityXmlJs = {
+      title: '',
+      updated: '',
+      author: {
+        name: ''
+      },
+      id: '',
+      content: {
+        '@': {
+          type: 'application/xml'
+        },
+        'm:properties': {
+          'd:PartitionKey': 'part1',
+          'd:RowKey': 'row1',
+          'd:intValue': '10',
+          'd:stringValue': 'my string',
+          'd:nullValue': '',
+          'd:nullValue2': null
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    var entityResult = atomHandler.parse(entityXmlJs);
+
+    var entity = {
+      'PartitionKey': 'part1',
+      'RowKey': 'row1',
+      'intValue': '10',
+      'stringValue': 'my string',
+      'nullValue': '',
+      'nullValue2': ''
+    };
+
+    assert.deepEqual(entityResult, entity);
+
+    done();
+  });
+
+  test('ParseDataTypes', function (done) {
+    var atomHandler = new AtomHandler('m', 'd');
+
+    var entityXmlJs = {
+      title: '',
+      updated: '',
+      author: {
+        name: ''
+      },
+      id: '',
+      content: {
+        '@': {
+          type: 'application/xml'
+        },
+        'm:properties': {
+          'd:PartitionKey': {
+            '#': 'part1',
+            '@': { 'm:type': 'Edm.String' }
+          },
+          'd:RowKey': {
+            '#': 'row1',
+            '@': { 'm:type': 'Edm.String' }
+          },
+          'd:intValue': {
+            '#': '10',
+            '@': { 'm:type': 'Edm.Int32' }
+          },
+          'd:stringValue': {
+            '#': 'my string',
+            '@': { 'm:type': 'Edm.String' }
+          },
+          'd:nullValue': {
+            '#': '',
+            '@': { 'm:null': 'true' }
+          },
+          'd:nullValue2': {
+            '@': { 'm:null': 'true' }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    var entityResult = atomHandler.parse(entityXmlJs);
+
+    var entity = {
+      'PartitionKey': 'part1',
+      'RowKey': 'row1',
+      'intValue': 10,
+      'stringValue': 'my string',
+      'nullValue': null,
+      'nullValue2': null
+    };
+
+    assert.deepEqual(entityResult, entity);
+
+    done();
+  });
 });