diff --git a/osxphotos/phototemplate.py b/osxphotos/phototemplate.py
index 8fe7793be..5e2798499 100644
--- a/osxphotos/phototemplate.py
+++ b/osxphotos/phototemplate.py
@@ -621,6 +621,8 @@ def _render_template_string(
                     raise SyntaxError(
                         "var must have a subfield and value in form {var:subfield,value}"
                     )
+                # strip empty string from default, #1318, #512
+                default = [d for d in default if d != ""]
                 self.variables[subfield] = default
                 vals = []
             else:
@@ -740,7 +742,7 @@ def comparison_test(test_function):
             pre = ts.pre or ""
             post = ts.post or ""
 
-            rendered = [pre + str(val) + post for val in vals]
+            rendered = [pre + str(val) + post for val in vals] if vals else [pre + post]
             results_new = []
             for ren in rendered:
                 for res in results:
diff --git a/tests/test_template.py b/tests/test_template.py
index f1737b8f9..2abf84801 100644
--- a/tests/test_template.py
+++ b/tests/test_template.py
@@ -1406,3 +1406,24 @@ def test_float_concatenation(photosdb):
     rendered, _ = photo.render_template("{,+photo.location}")
     assert len(rendered) == 1
     assert rendered[0] == f"{photo.location[0]},{photo.location[1]}"
+
+
+def test_var_eval(photosdb):
+    """Test {%varname?True,False} #1318"""
+    photo = [p for p in photosdb.photos() if not p.title][0]
+    template = "{var:test,{title,}}{%test?True,False}"
+    rendered, _ = photo.render_template(template)
+    assert rendered[0] == "False"
+
+    photo = [p for p in photosdb.photos() if p.title][0]
+    template = "{var:test,{title,}}{%test?True,False}"
+    rendered, _ = photo.render_template(template)
+    assert rendered[0] == "True"
+
+
+def test_null_template(photosdb):
+    """Test that template with null value renders correctly, #1319"""
+    photo = [p for p in photosdb.photos() if not p.title][0]
+    template = "{var:test,{title,}}Foo-{%test,}-Bar"
+    rendered, _ = photo.render_template(template)
+    assert rendered[0] == "Foo--Bar"