diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RangeFilterParser.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RangeFilterParser.java
index f35cb3194a6..94ea2baafe8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RangeFilterParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RangeFilterParser.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class RangeFilterParser implements FilterParser {
         if (smartNameFieldMappers != null) {
             if (smartNameFieldMappers.hasMapper()) {
                 //LUCENE 4 UPGRADE range filter should use bytesref too? 
-                filter = smartNameFieldMappers.mapper().rangeFilter(from.utf8ToString(), to.utf8ToString(), includeLower, includeUpper, parseContext);
+                filter = smartNameFieldMappers.mapper().rangeFilter(from != null ? from.utf8ToString() : null, to != null ? to.utf8ToString() : null, includeLower, includeUpper, parseContext);
             }
         }
         if (filter == null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RangeQueryParser.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RangeQueryParser.java
index 5cbaccf9db4..780e50fb973 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RangeQueryParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RangeQueryParser.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public class RangeQueryParser implements QueryParser {
         if (smartNameFieldMappers != null) {
             if (smartNameFieldMappers.hasMapper()) {
                 //LUCENE 4 UPGRADE Mapper#rangeQuery should use bytesref as well? 
-                query = smartNameFieldMappers.mapper().rangeQuery(from.utf8ToString(), to.utf8ToString(), includeLower, includeUpper, parseContext);
+                query = smartNameFieldMappers.mapper().rangeQuery(from != null ? from.utf8ToString() : null, to != null ? to.utf8ToString() : null, includeLower, includeUpper, parseContext);
             }
         }
         if (query == null) {