diff --git a/Mac/Include/macglue.h b/Mac/Include/macglue.h
index 5e39044..bc1939f 100644
--- a/Mac/Include/macglue.h
+++ b/Mac/Include/macglue.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@
 
 int PyMac_GetStr255(PyObject *, Str255);	/* argument parser for Str255 */
 PyObject *PyMac_BuildStr255(Str255);		/* Convert Str255 to PyObject */
+PyObject *PyMac_BuildOptStr255(Str255);		/* Convert Str255 to PyObject, NULL to None */
 
 int PyMac_GetFSSpec(PyObject *, FSSpec *);	/* argument parser for FSSpec */
 PyObject *PyMac_BuildFSSpec(FSSpec *);		/* Convert FSSpec to PyObject */
diff --git a/Mac/Python/macglue.c b/Mac/Python/macglue.c
index 117911a..40cdfa2 100644
--- a/Mac/Python/macglue.c
+++ b/Mac/Python/macglue.c
@@ -826,6 +826,20 @@
 PyObject *
 PyMac_BuildStr255(Str255 s)
 {
+	if ( s == NULL ) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_SystemError, "Str255 pointer is NULL");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	return PyString_FromStringAndSize((char *)&s[1], (int)s[0]);
+}
+
+PyObject *
+PyMac_BuildOptStr255(Str255 s)
+{
+	if ( s == NULL ) {
+		Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+		return Py_None;
+	}
 	return PyString_FromStringAndSize((char *)&s[1], (int)s[0]);
 }