diff --git a/src/AbstractDbValidator.php b/src/AbstractDbValidator.php
index 7cec8f2..c3b704b 100644
--- a/src/AbstractDbValidator.php
+++ b/src/AbstractDbValidator.php
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ public function getTable(): string
     /**
      * Run query and returns matches, or null if no matches are found.
      *
-     * @return mixed when matches are found; null when there are none (PDO reports no rows as false).
+     * @return mixed when matches are found; null or false when there are none (PDO reports no rows as false).
      */
     protected function query(mixed $value): mixed
     {
@@ -179,8 +179,6 @@ protected function query(mixed $value): mixed
             $parameters['where1'] = $value;
         }
 
-        $row = $statement->execute()?->current();
-
-        return false === $row ? null : $row;
+        return $statement->execute()?->current();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/NoRecordExists.php b/src/NoRecordExists.php
index 97d6ed5..9df136f 100644
--- a/src/NoRecordExists.php
+++ b/src/NoRecordExists.php
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public function isValid(mixed $value): bool
         $valid = true;
         $this->setValue($value);
 
-        if ($this->query($value) !== null) {
+        if ($this->query($value)) {
             $valid = false;
             $this->error(self::ERROR_RECORD_FOUND);
         }
diff --git a/test/unit/NoRecordExistsTest.php b/test/unit/NoRecordExistsTest.php
index 770106a..726d8de 100644
--- a/test/unit/NoRecordExistsTest.php
+++ b/test/unit/NoRecordExistsTest.php
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 use PhpDb\Adapter\ParameterContainer;
 use PhpDb\Adapter\Platform\Sql92;
 use PhpDb\Validator\NoRecordExists;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\DataProvider;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Group;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\Exception;
@@ -22,6 +23,16 @@
 #[Group('unit')]
 final class NoRecordExistsTest extends TestCase
 {
+    /** @return array<string, array{mixed}> */
+    public static function noRowShapes(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            'null'        => [null],
+            'false (PDO)' => [false],
+            'empty array' => [[]],
+        ];
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test basic function of RecordExists (no exclusion)
      *
@@ -138,17 +149,18 @@ public function excludeWithStringNoRecord()
     }
 
     /**
-     * PDO reports "no rows" as false rather than null; that must still count as no record.
+     * Every shape a driver uses for "no row" must count as no record.
      *
      * @throws Exception
      */
     #[Test]
-    public function noRowsReportedAsFalseFindsNoRecord(): void
+    #[DataProvider('noRowShapes')]
+    public function noRowShapeFindsNoRecord(mixed $current): void
     {
         $validator = new NoRecordExists([
             'table'   => 'users',
             'field'   => 'field1',
-            'adapter' => $this->getMockNoResult(false),
+            'adapter' => $this->getMockNoResult($current),
         ]);
         static::assertTrue($validator->isValid('nosuchvalue'));
     }
diff --git a/test/unit/RecordExistsTest.php b/test/unit/RecordExistsTest.php
index 1cecf1b..7a4cc33 100644
--- a/test/unit/RecordExistsTest.php
+++ b/test/unit/RecordExistsTest.php
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 use PhpDb\Sql\TableIdentifier;
 use PhpDb\Validator\RecordExists;
 use PhpDbTestAsset\Validator\TrustingSql92Platform;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\DataProvider;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Group;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\TestDox;
@@ -27,6 +28,16 @@
 #[Group('unit')]
 final class RecordExistsTest extends TestCase
 {
+    /** @return array<string, array{mixed}> */
+    public static function noRowShapes(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            'null'        => [null],
+            'false (PDO)' => [false],
+            'empty array' => [[]],
+        ];
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test basic function of RecordExists (no exclusion)
      *
@@ -214,6 +225,23 @@ public function getSelectWithSameValidatorTwice(): void
         );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Every shape a driver uses for "no row" must count as no record.
+     *
+     * @throws Exception
+     */
+    #[Test]
+    #[DataProvider('noRowShapes')]
+    public function noRowShapeFindsNoRecord(mixed $current): void
+    {
+        $validator = new RecordExists([
+            'table'   => 'users',
+            'field'   => 'field1',
+            'adapter' => $this->getMockNoResult($current),
+        ]);
+        static::assertFalse($validator->isValid('nosuchvalue'));
+    }
+
     /**
      * @throws Exception
      */
@@ -358,13 +386,13 @@ protected function getMockHasResult(): Adapter
      *
      * @throws Exception
      */
-    protected function getMockNoResult(): Adapter
+    protected function getMockNoResult(mixed $current = null): Adapter
     {
         // mock the adapter, driver, and parts
         $mockConnection = $this->createMock(ConnectionInterface::class);
 
         $mockNoResult = $this->createMock(ResultInterface::class);
-        $mockNoResult->method('current')->willReturn(null);
+        $mockNoResult->method('current')->willReturn($current);
 
         $mockNoResultStatement = $this->createMock(StatementInterface::class);
         $mockNoResultStatement->method('execute')->willReturn($mockNoResult);