diff --git a/profiles/lib/tag_cache.lua b/profiles/lib/tag_cache.lua
index b01efd2c0..dac8f6a71 100644
--- a/profiles/lib/tag_cache.lua
+++ b/profiles/lib/tag_cache.lua
@@ -2,25 +2,14 @@ TagCache = {}
 
 function TagCache.get(way,cache,key)
   local v = cache[key]
-  if v then
-    if v == '' then
-      return nil
-    else
-      return v
-    end
-  else
+  if v == nil then
     v = way:get_value_by_key(key)
-    if v == nil then
-      cache[key] = ''
-      return nil
-    else
-      cache[key] = v
-      if v == '' then
-        return nil
-      else
-        return v
-      end
-    end
+    cache[key] = v or false
+    return v
+  elseif v == false then
+    return nil
+  else
+    return v
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/src/extractor/scripting_environment_lua.cpp b/src/extractor/scripting_environment_lua.cpp
index 283d8b47b..c503192ab 100644
--- a/src/extractor/scripting_environment_lua.cpp
+++ b/src/extractor/scripting_environment_lua.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace
 template <class T>
 auto get_value_by_key(T const &object, const char *key) -> decltype(object.get_value_by_key(key))
 {
-    return object.get_value_by_key(key, "");
+    return object.get_value_by_key(key);
 }
 
 template <class T> double latToDouble(T const &object)