diff --git a/spec/adapter/adapters_spec.cr b/spec/adapter/adapters_spec.cr
index 3b4cc5c2..41c70290 100644
--- a/spec/adapter/adapters_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/adapter/adapters_spec.cr
@@ -15,9 +15,21 @@ describe Granite::Connections do
     it "should allow connections to be be saved and looked up" do
       Granite::Connections.registered_connections.size.should eq 3
 
-      Granite::Connections["mysql"].not_nil!.url.should eq ENV["MYSQL_DATABASE_URL"]
-      Granite::Connections["pg"].not_nil!.url.should eq ENV["PG_DATABASE_URL"]
-      Granite::Connections["sqlite"].not_nil!.url.should eq ENV["SQLITE_DATABASE_URL"]
+      if connection = Granite::Connections["mysql"]
+        connection.url.should eq ENV["MYSQL_DATABASE_URL"]
+      else
+        connection.should_not be_falsey
+      end
+      if connection = Granite::Connections["pg"]
+        connection.url.should eq ENV["PG_DATABASE_URL"]
+      else
+        connection.should_not be_falsey
+      end
+      if connection = Granite::Connections["sqlite"]
+        connection.url.should eq ENV["SQLITE_DATABASE_URL"]
+      else
+        connection.should_not be_falsey
+      end
     end
 
     it "should disallow multiple connections with the same name" do
diff --git a/spec/granite/associations/has_many_spec.cr b/spec/granite/associations/has_many_spec.cr
index 161f30af..3fb7ebe9 100644
--- a/spec/granite/associations/has_many_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/granite/associations/has_many_spec.cr
@@ -68,9 +68,13 @@ describe "has_many" do
       klass3.teacher = teacher
       klass3.save
 
-      klass = teacher.klasses.find_by(name: "Test class with different name").not_nil!
-      klass.id.should eq klass3.id
-      klass.name.should eq "Test class with different name"
+      klass = teacher.klasses.find_by(name: "Test class with different name")
+      if klass
+        klass.id.should eq klass3.id
+        klass.name.should eq "Test class with different name"
+      else
+        klass.should_not be_nil
+      end
     end
 
     it "#find_by!" do
@@ -93,7 +97,7 @@ describe "has_many" do
       klass3.teacher = teacher
       klass3.save
 
-      klass = teacher.klasses.find_by!(name: "Test class with different name").not_nil!
+      klass = teacher.klasses.find_by!(name: "Test class with different name")
       klass.id.should eq klass3.id
       klass.name.should eq "Test class with different name"
 
@@ -125,9 +129,13 @@ describe "has_many" do
       klass3.teacher = teacher
       klass3.save
 
-      klass = teacher.klasses.find(klass1.id).not_nil!
-      klass.id.should eq klass1.id
-      klass.name.should eq "Test class X"
+      klass = teacher.klasses.find(klass1.id)
+      if klass
+        klass.id.should eq klass1.id
+        klass.name.should eq "Test class X"
+      else
+        klass.should_not be_nil
+      end
     end
 
     it "#find!" do
@@ -150,7 +158,7 @@ describe "has_many" do
       klass3.teacher = teacher
       klass3.save
 
-      klass = teacher.klasses.find!(klass1.id).not_nil!
+      klass = teacher.klasses.find!(klass1.id)
       klass.id.should eq klass1.id
       klass.name.should eq "Test class X"
 
diff --git a/spec/granite/associations/has_many_through_spec.cr b/spec/granite/associations/has_many_through_spec.cr
index ae87745c..fda28ea0 100644
--- a/spec/granite/associations/has_many_through_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/granite/associations/has_many_through_spec.cr
@@ -91,9 +91,13 @@ describe "has_many, through:" do
       enrollment3.student = student
       enrollment3.save
 
-      klass = student.klasses.find_by(name: "Test class with different name").not_nil!
-      klass.id.should eq klass3.id
-      klass.name.should eq "Test class with different name"
+      klass = student.klasses.find_by(name: "Test class with different name")
+      if klass
+        klass.id.should eq klass3.id
+        klass.name.should eq "Test class with different name"
+      else
+        klass.should_not be_nil
+      end
     end
 
     it "#find_by!" do
@@ -118,7 +122,7 @@ describe "has_many, through:" do
       enrollment3.student = student
       enrollment3.save
 
-      klass = student.klasses.find_by!(name: "Test class with different name").not_nil!
+      klass = student.klasses.find_by!(name: "Test class with different name")
       klass.id.should eq klass3.id
       klass.name.should eq "Test class with different name"
 
@@ -152,9 +156,13 @@ describe "has_many, through:" do
       enrollment3.student = student
       enrollment3.save
 
-      klass = student.klasses.find(klass1.id).not_nil!
-      klass.id.should eq klass1.id
-      klass.name.should eq "Test class X"
+      klass = student.klasses.find(klass1.id)
+      if klass
+        klass.id.should eq klass1.id
+        klass.name.should eq "Test class X"
+      else
+        klass.should_not be_nil
+      end
     end
 
     it "#find!" do
@@ -179,7 +187,7 @@ describe "has_many, through:" do
       enrollment3.student = student
       enrollment3.save
 
-      klass = student.klasses.find!(klass1.id).not_nil!
+      klass = student.klasses.find!(klass1.id)
       klass.id.should eq klass1.id
       klass.name.should eq "Test class X"
 
diff --git a/spec/granite/querying/find_by_spec.cr b/spec/granite/querying/find_by_spec.cr
index e4f10a16..c77e6d64 100644
--- a/spec/granite/querying/find_by_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/granite/querying/find_by_spec.cr
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ describe "#find_by, #find_by!" do
     model.save.should be_true
 
     found = Parent.find_by(name: name)
-    found.not_nil!.id.should eq model.id
+    if pa = found
+      pa.id.should eq model.id
+    else
+      pa.should_not be_nil
+    end
 
     found = Parent.find_by!(name: name)
     found.should be_a(Parent)
@@ -23,7 +27,12 @@ describe "#find_by, #find_by!" do
 
     expected = Review.create(name: "review3", upvotes: 10.to_i64)
 
-    Review.find_by(name: "review3", upvotes: 10).not_nil!.id.should eq expected.id
+    r = Review.find_by(name: "review3", upvotes: 10)
+    if r
+      r.id.should eq expected.id
+    else
+      r.should_not be_nil
+    end
 
     expect_raises(Granite::Querying::NotFound, /No .*Review.* found where name = review1 and upvotes = 20/) do
       Review.find_by!(name: "review1", upvotes: 20)
@@ -37,7 +46,11 @@ describe "#find_by, #find_by!" do
     model.save.should be_true
 
     found = Student.find_by(name: nil)
-    found.not_nil!.id.should eq model.id
+    if stu = found
+      stu.id.should eq model.id
+    else
+      stu.should_not be_nil
+    end
 
     found = Student.find_by!(name: nil)
     found.should be_a(Student)
@@ -52,7 +65,11 @@ describe "#find_by, #find_by!" do
     model.save.should be_true
 
     found = ReservedWord.find_by(all: value)
-    found.not_nil!.id.should eq model.id
+    if rw = found
+      rw.id.should eq model.id
+    else
+      rw.should_not be_nil
+    end
 
     found = ReservedWord.find_by!(all: value)
     found.id.should eq model.id
@@ -66,7 +83,11 @@ describe "#find_by, #find_by!" do
     model.save.should be_true
 
     found = Parent.find_by({"name" => name})
-    found.not_nil!.id.should eq model.id
+    if pa = found
+      pa.id.should eq model.id
+    else
+      pa.should_not be_nil
+    end
 
     found = Parent.find_by!({"name" => name})
     found.should be_a(Parent)
diff --git a/spec/granite/querying/find_spec.cr b/spec/granite/querying/find_spec.cr
index 6d94f5f3..fd70dc58 100644
--- a/spec/granite/querying/find_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/granite/querying/find_spec.cr
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ describe "#find, #find!" do
 
     found = Parent.find model.id
     found.should_not be_nil
-    found.not_nil!.id.should eq model.id
+    found && (found.id.should eq model.id)
 
     found = Parent.find! model.id
     found.id.should eq model.id
diff --git a/spec/granite/querying/first_spec.cr b/spec/granite/querying/first_spec.cr
index 2549e181..b9251889 100644
--- a/spec/granite/querying/first_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/granite/querying/first_spec.cr
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ describe "#first, #first!" do
     end
 
     found = Parent.first
-    found.not_nil!.id.should eq first.id
+    if pa = found
+      pa.id.should eq first.id
+    else
+      pa.should_not be_nil
+    end
 
     found = Parent.first!
     found.id.should eq first.id
@@ -33,7 +37,11 @@ describe "#first, #first!" do
     end
 
     found = Parent.first("ORDER BY id DESC")
-    found.not_nil!.id.should eq second.id
+    if pa = found
+      found.id.should eq second.id
+    else
+      pa.should_not be_nil
+    end
 
     found = Parent.first!("ORDER BY id DESC")
     found.id.should eq second.id
diff --git a/spec/mocks/db_mock.cr b/spec/mocks/db_mock.cr
index 71ea52b4..1c2a8646 100644
--- a/spec/mocks/db_mock.cr
+++ b/spec/mocks/db_mock.cr
@@ -88,4 +88,8 @@ class FieldEmitter < DB::ResultSet
   def column_name(index : Int32) : String
     "Column #{index}"
   end
+
+  def next_column_index : Int32
+    @field_position
+  end
 end
diff --git a/src/granite/query/executors/value.cr b/src/granite/query/executors/value.cr
index 501f0524..2e03f1df 100644
--- a/src/granite/query/executors/value.cr
+++ b/src/granite/query/executors/value.cr
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ module Granite::Query::Executor
       # db.scalar raises when a query returns 0 results, so I'm using query_one?
       # https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal-db/blob/7d30e9f50e478cb6404d16d2ce91e639b6f9c476/src/db/statement.cr#L18
 
-      raise "No default provided" if @default.nil?
-
-      Model.adapter.open do |db|
-        db.query_one?(@sql, args: @args, as: Scalar) || @default.not_nil!
+      if @default.nil?
+        raise "No default provided"
+      else
+        Model.adapter.open do |db|
+          db.query_one?(@sql, args: @args, as: Scalar) || @default
+        end
       end
     end