diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index bda4b5daf..142f4c60a 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -336,6 +336,15 @@ to make all your type definitions nullable, set:
 
     $jm->bStrictNullTypes = false;
 
+Since version 5.0.0, ``null`` values in arrays lead to a ``JsonMapper_Exception``
+unless the type is nullable - e.g. ``array[?string]`` or ``array[string|null]``.
+
+To get the previous behavior back (allowing nulls even when not declared so) set:
+
+.. code:: php
+
+    $jm->bStrictNullTypesInArrays = false;
+
 
 Logging
 =======
diff --git a/src/JsonMapper.php b/src/JsonMapper.php
index 5496d2878..2d73f9297 100644
--- a/src/JsonMapper.php
+++ b/src/JsonMapper.php
@@ -70,10 +70,18 @@ class JsonMapper
      * Throw an exception, if null value is found
      * but the type of attribute does not allow nulls.
      *
-     * @var bool
+     * @var boolean
      */
     public $bStrictNullTypes = true;
 
+    /**
+     * Throw an exception if null value is found in an array
+     * but the type of attribute does not allow nulls.
+     *
+     * @var boolean
+     */
+    public $bStrictNullTypesInArrays = true;
+
     /**
      * Allow mapping of private and protected properties.
      *
@@ -277,7 +285,8 @@ public function map($json, $object)
                     'Empty type at property "'
                     . $strClassName . '::$' . $key . '"'
                 );
-            } else if (strpos($type, '|')) {
+
+            } else if (strpos(str_replace('|null', '', $type), '|')) {
                 throw new JsonMapper_Exception(
                     'Cannot decide which of the union types shall be used: '
                     . $type
@@ -316,9 +325,14 @@ public function map($json, $object)
                     );
                 }
 
+                $subtypeNullable = $this->isNullable($subtype);
                 $cleanSubtype = $this->removeNullable($subtype);
                 $subtype = $this->getFullNamespace($cleanSubtype, $strNs);
+                if ($subtypeNullable) {
+                    $subtype = '?' . $subtype;
+                }
                 $child = $this->mapArray($jvalue, $array, $subtype, $key);
+
             } else if ($this->isFlatType(gettype($jvalue))) {
                 //use constructor parameter if we have a class
                 // but only a flat type (i.e. string, int)
@@ -447,8 +461,19 @@ protected function removeUndefinedAttributes($object, $providedProperties)
      */
     public function mapArray($json, $array, $class = null, $parent_key = '')
     {
+        $isNullable = $this->isNullable($class);
+        $class = $this->removeNullable($class);
         $originalClass = $class;
+
         foreach ($json as $key => $jvalue) {
+            if ($jvalue === null && !$isNullable && $this->bStrictNullTypesInArrays) {
+                throw new JsonMapper_Exception(
+                    'JSON property'
+                    . ' "' . ($parent_key ? $parent_key : '?') . '[' . $key . ']"'
+                    . ' must not be NULL'
+                );
+            }
+
             $class = $this->getMappedType($originalClass, $jvalue);
             if ($class === null) {
                 $array[$key] = $jvalue;
diff --git a/tests/ArrayTest.php b/tests/ArrayTest.php
index 1daee0645..c0511bc41 100644
--- a/tests/ArrayTest.php
+++ b/tests/ArrayTest.php
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ public function testMapTypedArray()
     public function testMapTypedSimpleArray()
     {
         $jm = new JsonMapper();
+        $jm->bStrictNullTypesInArrays = false;
         $sn = $jm->map(
             json_decode('{"typedSimpleArray":["2014-01-02",null,"2014-05-07"]}'),
             new JsonMapperTest_Array()
@@ -138,10 +139,63 @@ public function testStrArrayV2()
         $this->assertSame(['str', '', '2.048'], $sn->strArrayV2);
     }
 
-    public function testNullArrayValue()
+    /**
+     * Test for an array of strings-or-null values - "@var array[string|null]"
+     */
+    public function testStrMaybeNullArray()
+    {
+        $jm = new JsonMapper();
+        $this->assertTrue($jm->bStrictNullTypesInArrays);
+        $sn = $jm->map(
+            json_decode('{"strMaybeNullArray":["str",null,2.048]}'),
+            new JsonMapperTest_Array()
+        );
+        $this->assertSame(['str', null, '2.048'], $sn->strMaybeNullArray);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test for an array of strings-or-null values - "@var array[?string]"
+     * Alternative syntax
+     */
+    public function testStrMaybeNullArrayV2()
+    {
+        $jm = new JsonMapper();
+        $this->assertTrue($jm->bStrictNullTypesInArrays);
+        $sn = $jm->map(
+            json_decode('{"strMaybeNullArrayV2":["str",null,2.048]}'),
+            new JsonMapperTest_Array()
+        );
+        $this->assertSame(['str', null, '2.048'], $sn->strMaybeNullArrayV2);
+    }
+
+    public function testNullArrayValueStrict()
     {
+        $this->expectException(JsonMapper_Exception::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('JSON property "strArray[1]" must not be NULL');
+
         $jm = new JsonMapper();
-        $jm->bStrictNullTypes = true;
+        $this->assertTrue(
+            $jm->bStrictNullTypes,
+            'Default value for bStrictNullTypes is wrong'
+        );
+        $this->assertTrue(
+            $jm->bStrictNullTypesInArrays,
+            'Default value for bStrictNullTypesInArrays is wrong'
+        );
+        $sn = $jm->map(
+            json_decode('{"strArray":["a",null,"c"]}'),
+            new JsonMapperTest_Array()
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testNullArrayValueNonStrict()
+    {
+        $jm = new JsonMapper();
+        $this->assertTrue(
+            $jm->bStrictNullTypes,
+            'Default value for bStrictNullTypes is wrong'
+        );
+        $jm->bStrictNullTypesInArrays = false;
         $sn = $jm->map(
             json_decode('{"strArray":["a",null,"c"]}'),
             new JsonMapperTest_Array()
diff --git a/tests/support/JsonMapperTest/Array.php b/tests/support/JsonMapperTest/Array.php
index 90c6d50f9..b1ab4fdc6 100644
--- a/tests/support/JsonMapperTest/Array.php
+++ b/tests/support/JsonMapperTest/Array.php
@@ -35,6 +35,16 @@ class JsonMapperTest_Array
      */
     public $strArrayV2;
 
+    /**
+     * @var array[string|null]
+     */
+    public $strMaybeNullArray;
+
+    /**
+     * @var array[?string]
+     */
+    public $strMaybeNullArrayV2;
+
     /**
      * @var JsonMapperTest_Simple[]
      * @see http://phpdoc.org/docs/latest/references/phpdoc/types.html#arrays