diff --git a/gunicorn/http/message.py b/gunicorn/http/message.py
index 8a6ff556..795d29eb 100644
--- a/gunicorn/http/message.py
+++ b/gunicorn/http/message.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ class Request(Message):
         # URI
         self.uri = bits[1]
         parts = urlparse.urlparse(bits[1])
-        self.scheme = parts.scheme or None
+        self.scheme = parts.scheme or ''
         self.host = parts.netloc or None
         if parts.port is None:
             self.port = 80
diff --git a/tests/treq.py b/tests/treq.py
index 5bd72bd5..0ad9d4c5 100644
--- a/tests/treq.py
+++ b/tests/treq.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ random.seed()
 def uri(data):
     ret = {"raw": data}
     parts = urlparse.urlparse(data)
-    ret["scheme"] = parts.scheme or None
+    ret["scheme"] = parts.scheme or ''
     ret["host"] = parts.netloc.rsplit(":", 1)[0] or None
     ret["port"] = parts.port or 80
     if parts.path and parts.params:
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ def uri(data):
         # Don't think this can happen
         ret["path"] = ";" + parts.path
     else:
-        ret["path"] = None
-    ret["query"] = parts.query or None
-    ret["fragment"] = parts.fragment or None
+        ret["path"] = ''
+    ret["query"] = parts.query or ''
+    ret["fragment"] = parts.fragment or ''
     return ret
 
 def load_py(fname):