diff --git a/lib/db/mysql.php b/lib/db/mysql.php
index 21db356233c..b0e3c18c19b 100644
--- a/lib/db/mysql.php
+++ b/lib/db/mysql.php
@@ -2177,6 +2177,10 @@ function main_upgrade($oldversion=0) {
         execute_sql("ALTER TABLE {$CFG->prefix}course_categories CHANGE description description text NULL AFTER name");
     }
 
+    if ($oldversion < 2006083102) {
+        execute_sql("ALTER TABLE {$CFG->prefix}user CHANGE description description text NULL AFTER url");
+    }
+
     return $result;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/db/mysql.sql b/lib/db/mysql.sql
index 7dadbf97b30..d67d027561b 100644
--- a/lib/db/mysql.sql
+++ b/lib/db/mysql.sql
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `prefix_user` (
   `secret` varchar(15) NOT NULL default '',
   `picture` tinyint(1) NOT NULL default '0',
   `url` varchar(255) NOT NULL default '',
-  `description` text NOT NULL default '',
+  `description` text,
   `mailformat` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL default '1',
   `maildigest` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
   `maildisplay` tinyint(2) unsigned NOT NULL default '2',
diff --git a/lib/db/postgres7.php b/lib/db/postgres7.php
index b8638e42749..71fdcfa492e 100644
--- a/lib/db/postgres7.php
+++ b/lib/db/postgres7.php
@@ -1774,6 +1774,11 @@ function main_upgrade($oldversion=0) {
         execute_sql("ALTER TABLE {$CFG->prefix}course_categories ALTER COLUMN description DROP DEFAULT");
     }
 
+    if ($oldversion < 2006083102) {
+        execute_sql("ALTER TABLE {$CFG->prefix}user ALTER COLUMN description DROP NOT NULL");
+        execute_sql("ALTER TABLE {$CFG->prefix}user ALTER COLUMN description DROP DEFAULT");
+    }
+
     return $result;
 }
 
diff --git a/version.php b/version.php
index 507e285f217..f0aa88f2fa9 100644
--- a/version.php
+++ b/version.php
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 // This is compared against the values stored in the database to determine
 // whether upgrades should be performed (see lib/db/*.php)
 
-   $version = 2006083101;  // YYYYMMDD = date
+   $version = 2006083102;  // YYYYMMDD = date
                            //       XY = increments within a single day
 
    $release = '1.7 dev';    // Human-friendly version name