merge alex/aint-no-reason-things-are-this-way
diff --git a/OpenSSL/_util.py b/OpenSSL/_util.py
index de292be..5e2b256 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/_util.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/_util.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 
     :return: :class:`str`
     """
+    if not charp:
+        return ""
     return native(ffi.string(charp))