diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index 865f1e93..e5c190cc 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2.046004 - 2020-10-17
+
+  [ENHANCEMENTS]
+
+  * #748 even safer calls to NetAddr::MAC->new()
+
 2.046003 - 2020-10-17
 
   [NEW FEATURES]
diff --git a/META.json b/META.json
index ba0debee..7671e567 100644
--- a/META.json
+++ b/META.json
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
    "provides" : {
       "App::Netdisco" : {
          "file" : "lib/App/Netdisco.pm",
-         "version" : "2.046003"
+         "version" : "2.046004"
       },
       "App::Netdisco::AnyEvent::Nbtstat" : {
          "file" : "lib/App/Netdisco/AnyEvent/Nbtstat.pm"
@@ -840,6 +840,6 @@
       "x_IRC" : "irc://irc.freenode.org/#netdisco",
       "x_MailingList" : "https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/netdisco-users"
    },
-   "version" : "2.046003",
+   "version" : "2.046004",
    "x_serialization_backend" : "JSON::PP version 2.97001"
 }
diff --git a/META.yml b/META.yml
index d7393f2f..e1e97cbb 100644
--- a/META.yml
+++ b/META.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ name: App-Netdisco
 provides:
   App::Netdisco:
     file: lib/App/Netdisco.pm
-    version: '2.046003'
+    version: '2.046004'
   App::Netdisco::AnyEvent::Nbtstat:
     file: lib/App/Netdisco/AnyEvent/Nbtstat.pm
   App::Netdisco::Backend::Job:
@@ -579,5 +579,5 @@ resources:
   homepage: http://netdisco.org/
   license: http://opensource.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause
   repository: https://github.com/netdisco/netdisco
-version: '2.046003'
+version: '2.046004'
 x_serialization_backend: 'CPAN::Meta::YAML version 0.018'
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco.pm
index b2b46bd5..33b8d2fa 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco.pm
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use strict;
 use warnings;
 use 5.010_000;
 
-our $VERSION = '2.046003';
+our $VERSION = '2.046004';
 use App::Netdisco::Configuration;
 
 =head1 NAME
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/DevicePort.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/DevicePort.pm
index 5b2c3b39..dae37ac0 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/DevicePort.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/DevicePort.pm
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ Returns the C<mac> column instantiated into a L<NetAddr::MAC> object.
 
 =cut
 
-sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => (shift)->mac) }
+sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ((shift)->mac) || '') }
 
 =head2 last_comment
 
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/Node.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/Node.pm
index 8f610d57..f898913a 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/Node.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/Node.pm
@@ -193,6 +193,6 @@ Returns the C<mac> column instantiated into a L<NetAddr::MAC> object.
 
 =cut
 
-sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => (shift)->mac) }
+sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ((shift)->mac) || '') }
 
 1;
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeIp.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeIp.pm
index 57c40438..b27a5cb9 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeIp.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeIp.pm
@@ -221,6 +221,6 @@ Returns the C<mac> column instantiated into a L<NetAddr::MAC> object.
 
 =cut
 
-sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => (shift)->mac) }
+sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ((shift)->mac) || '') }
 
 1;
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeNbt.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeNbt.pm
index abff6225..67a23b06 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeNbt.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeNbt.pm
@@ -178,6 +178,6 @@ Returns the C<mac> column instantiated into a L<NetAddr::MAC> object.
 
 =cut
 
-sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => (shift)->mac) }
+sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ((shift)->mac) || '') }
 
 1;
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeWireless.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeWireless.pm
index 5c593f20..2a33d4eb 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeWireless.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/Result/NodeWireless.pm
@@ -87,6 +87,6 @@ Returns the C<mac> column instantiated into a L<NetAddr::MAC> object.
 
 =cut
 
-sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => (shift)->mac) }
+sub net_mac { return NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ((shift)->mac) || '') }
 
 1;
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/ResultSet/Device.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/ResultSet/Device.pm
index 1a7812b4..c63651e6 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/ResultSet/Device.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/DB/ResultSet/Device.pm
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ sub search_by_field {
     }
 
     # get IEEE MAC format
-    my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $p->{mac});
+    my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($p->{mac} || ''));
     undef $mac if
       ($mac and $mac->as_ieee
       and (($mac->as_ieee eq '00:00:00:00:00:00')
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ sub search_fuzzy {
     }
 
     # get IEEE MAC format
-    my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $q);
+    my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($q || ''));
     undef $mac if
       ($mac and $mac->as_ieee
       and (($mac->as_ieee eq '00:00:00:00:00:00')
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Util/Node.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Util/Node.pm
index 475afea5..73d9771a 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Util/Node.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Util/Node.pm
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ sub check_mac {
   my ($node, $device, $port_macs) = @_;
   return 0 if !$node;
 
-  my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $node);
+  my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($node || ''));
   my $devip = ($device ? (ref $device ? $device->ip : $device) : '');
   $port_macs ||= {};
 
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ sub store_arp {
   my ($hash_ref, $now) = @_;
   $now ||= 'now()';
   my $ip   = $hash_ref->{'ip'};
-  my $mac  = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $hash_ref->{'node'});
+  my $mac  = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($hash_ref->{'node'} || ''));
   my $name = $hash_ref->{'dns'};
 
   return if !defined $mac or $mac->errstr;
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin/Search/Node.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin/Search/Node.pm
index adfd00d4..438a0f58 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin/Search/Node.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin/Search/Node.pm
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ get '/ajax/content/search/node' => require_login sub {
     my $agenot = param('age_invert') || '0';
     my ( $start, $end ) = param('daterange') =~ m/(\d+-\d+-\d+)/gmx;
 
-    my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $node);
+    my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($node || ''));
     undef $mac if
       ($mac and $mac->as_ieee
       and (($mac->as_ieee eq '00:00:00:00:00:00')
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin/Search/Port.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin/Search/Port.pm
index dfd770e0..ffdfb7de 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin/Search/Port.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Plugin/Search/Port.pm
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ get '/ajax/content/search/port' => require_login sub {
     }
     else {
         my ( $likeval, $likeclause ) = sql_match($q);
-        my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $q);
+        my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($q || ''));
 
         undef $mac if
           ($mac and $mac->as_ieee
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Search.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Search.pm
index c9ea597e..0affb993 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Search.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Web/Search.pm
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ get '/search' => require_login sub {
         else {
             my $nd = $s->resultset('Device')->search_fuzzy($q);
             my ($likeval, $likeclause) = sql_match($q);
-            my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $q);
+            my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($q || ''));
 
             undef $mac if
               ($mac and $mac->as_ieee
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin/Discover/Neighbors.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin/Discover/Neighbors.pm
index 83adfe58..3da9ef52 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin/Discover/Neighbors.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin/Discover/Neighbors.pm
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ sub store_neighbors {
               }
 
               if (!defined $neigh) {
-                  my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $remote_id);
+                  my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($remote_id || ''));
                   if ($mac and not $mac->errstr) {
                       $neigh = $devices->single({mac => $mac->as_ieee});
                   }
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ sub store_neighbors {
               # "myswitchname(012345-012345)"
               if (!defined $neigh) {
                   (my $tmpid = $remote_id) =~ s/.*\(([0-9a-f]{6})-([0-9a-f]{6})\).*/$1$2/;
-                  my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => $tmpid);
+                  my $mac = NetAddr::MAC->new(mac => ($tmpid || ''));
                   if ($mac and not $mac->errstr) {
                       debug sprintf
                         ' [%s] neigh - trying to find neighbor %s by MAC %s',