diff --git a/fernet_fields/fields.py b/fernet_fields/fields.py
index 43569dd..1a7b43c 100644
--- a/fernet_fields/fields.py
+++ b/fernet_fields/fields.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.exceptions import FieldError, ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.db import models
-from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes, force_text
+from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes, force_str
 from django.utils.functional import cached_property
 
 from . import hkdf
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ def get_db_prep_save(self, value, connection):
     def from_db_value(self, value, expression, connection, *args):
         if value is not None:
             value = bytes(value)
-            return self.to_python(force_text(self.fernet.decrypt(value)))
+            if value == b'':
+                return ''
+            return self.to_python(force_str(self.fernet.decrypt(value)))
 
     @cached_property
     def validators(self):
diff --git a/fernet_fields/test/settings/base.py b/fernet_fields/test/settings/base.py
index bddf12a..fcc09ec 100644
--- a/fernet_fields/test/settings/base.py
+++ b/fernet_fields/test/settings/base.py
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@
 SECRET_KEY = 'secret'
 
 SILENCED_SYSTEM_CHECKS = ['1_7.W001']
+
+USE_TZ = False
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/fernet_fields/test/test_fields.py b/fernet_fields/test/test_fields.py
index bd8e5b8..9c6922d 100644
--- a/fernet_fields/test/test_fields.py
+++ b/fernet_fields/test/test_fields.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 from django.core.exceptions import FieldError, ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.db import connection, models as dj_models
-from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes, force_text
+from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes, force_str
 import pytest
 
 import fernet_fields as fields
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ def test_insert(self, db, model, vals):
         with connection.cursor() as cur:
             cur.execute('SELECT value FROM %s' % model._meta.db_table)
             data = [
-                force_text(field.fernet.decrypt(force_bytes(r[0])))
+                force_str(field.fernet.decrypt(force_bytes(r[0])))
                 for r in cur.fetchall()
             ]