diff --git a/Database/Persist/Class/PersistField.hs b/Database/Persist/Class/PersistField.hs
--- a/Database/Persist/Class/PersistField.hs
+++ b/Database/Persist/Class/PersistField.hs
@@ -239,6 +239,9 @@
     fromPersistValue (PersistText t) = fromPersistValue (PersistByteString $ TE.encodeUtf8 t)
     fromPersistValue (PersistByteString bs)
         | Just values <- A.decode' (L.fromChunks [bs]) = fromPersistList values
+    -- avoid the need for a migration to fill in empty lists.
+    -- also useful when Persistent is not the only one filling in the data
+    fromPersistValue (PersistNull) = Right []
     fromPersistValue x = Left $ T.pack $ "Expected PersistList, received: " ++ show x
 
 instance (Ord a, PersistField a) => PersistField (S.Set a) where
diff --git a/persistent.cabal b/persistent.cabal
--- a/persistent.cabal
+++ b/persistent.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:            persistent
-version:         1.2.0.1
+version:         1.2.0.2
 license:         MIT
 license-file:    LICENSE
 author:          Michael Snoyman <michael@snoyman.com>