diff --git a/django_celery_results/backends/database.py b/django_celery_results/backends/database.py
index 2eb73254..1f6f9c2a 100644
--- a/django_celery_results/backends/database.py
+++ b/django_celery_results/backends/database.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def _store_result(
         )
 
         task_name = getattr(request, 'task', None)
-        properties = getattr(request, 'properties', {})
+        properties = getattr(request, 'properties', {}) or {}
         periodic_task_name = properties.get('periodic_task_name', None)
         worker = getattr(request, 'hostname', None)
 
diff --git a/t/unit/backends/test_database.py b/t/unit/backends/test_database.py
index ccc62714..99b97106 100644
--- a/t/unit/backends/test_database.py
+++ b/t/unit/backends/test_database.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def _create_request(self, task_id, name, args, kwargs,
         )
         if task_protocol == 1:
             body, headers, _, _ = hybrid_to_proto2(msg, msg.body)
-            properties = {}
+            properties = None
             sent_event = {}
         else:
             headers, properties, body, sent_event = msg