diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/__tests__/dataGrid/dataGridCellCoercion.spec.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/__tests__/dataGrid/dataGridCellCoercion.spec.ts
index 85485aa86..088ebf1bd 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/__tests__/dataGrid/dataGridCellCoercion.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/__tests__/dataGrid/dataGridCellCoercion.spec.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,26 @@ describe("dataGridCellDisplayText", () => {
 });
 
 describe("coerceDataGridCellValue", () => {
+  it.each(["null", "NULL", "Null", "nUlL"])("preserves literal %s input as text", (value) => {
+    expect(
+      coerceDataGridCellValue({
+        value,
+        oldValue: null,
+        databaseType: "mysql",
+        columnInfo: { data_type: "varchar(255)" },
+      }),
+    ).toBe(value);
+
+    expect(
+      coerceDataGridCellValue({
+        value,
+        oldValue: "previous",
+        databaseType: "postgres",
+        columnInfo: { data_type: "text" },
+      }),
+    ).toBe(value);
+  });
+
   it("preserves an explicitly generated empty string for a null cell", () => {
     const options = {
       value: "",
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/dataGrid/dataGridCellCoercion.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/dataGrid/dataGridCellCoercion.ts
index d60d95b71..b9c946887 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/dataGrid/dataGridCellCoercion.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/dataGrid/dataGridCellCoercion.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ export interface CoerceDataGridCellValueOptions {
 
 export function coerceDataGridCellValue(options: CoerceDataGridCellValueOptions): GridCellValue {
   const { value, oldValue } = options;
-  if (value.toUpperCase() === "NULL") return null;
   if (value === "" && oldValue === null && !options.preserveEmptyString) return null;
   const postgresArrayValue = coercePostgresArrayValue(options);
   if (postgresArrayValue !== undefined) return postgresArrayValue;
diff --git a/packages/app-tests/dataGridEditor.test.ts b/packages/app-tests/dataGridEditor.test.ts
index aab888fa6..12c462c97 100644
--- a/packages/app-tests/dataGridEditor.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app-tests/dataGridEditor.test.ts
@@ -618,6 +618,23 @@ test("undo and redo restore pending cell edits before save", () => {
   assert.deepEqual(editor.rowDataWithChanges(result.value.rows[0], 0), [1, "Ada Lovelace"]);
 });
 
+test("typing NULL preserves the literal string value", async () => {
+  setActivePinia(createPinia());
+  installBrowserTestGlobals();
+
+  const result = computed(() => ({
+    columns: ["id", "name"],
+    rows: [[1, "Ada"] as CellValue[]],
+  }));
+  const editor = createPeopleGridEditor(result);
+
+  editor.applyCellValue(0, 1, "NULL");
+
+  assert.equal(editor.dirtyRows.value.get(0)?.get(1), "NULL");
+  assert.deepEqual(editor.rowDataWithChanges(result.value.rows[0], 0), [1, "NULL"]);
+  assert.deepEqual(await editor.previewChanges(), [`UPDATE "people" SET "name" = 'NULL' WHERE "id" = 1;`]);
+});
+
 test("setting a cell to NULL records pending SQL and supports undo and redo", async () => {
   setActivePinia(createPinia());
   installBrowserTestGlobals();