diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index f09fb8eb53..bcc0a08cdd 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ jredisVersion=06052013
 jedisVersion=2.4.1
 springVersion=3.2.8.RELEASE
 log4jVersion=1.2.17
-version=1.3.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT
+version=1.3.0.DATAREDIS-289-SNAPSHOT
 srpVersion=0.7
 jacksonVersion=1.8.8
 fasterXmlJacksonVersion=2.2.0
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/DefaultValueOperations.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/DefaultValueOperations.java
index bdfaf8d2c3..6d3952c223 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/DefaultValueOperations.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/DefaultValueOperations.java
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ public Integer append(K key, String value) {
 		return execute(new RedisCallback<Integer>() {
 
 			public Integer doInRedis(RedisConnection connection) {
-				return connection.append(rawKey, rawString).intValue();
+				final Long result = connection.append(rawKey, rawString); 				
+				return ( result != null ) ? result.intValue() : null; 
 			}
 		}, true);
 	}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplateTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplateTests.java
index 82f9cb4b3d..61b0f09271 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplateTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplateTests.java
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ public List<Object> execute(RedisOperations operations) throws DataAccessExcepti
 				operations.multi();
 				operations.opsForValue().set("foo", "5");
 				operations.opsForValue().get("foo");
+				operations.opsForValue().append("foo1", "5");
 				operations.opsForList().leftPush("foolist", "6");
 				operations.opsForList().range("foolist", 0l, 1l);
 				operations.opsForSet().add("fooset", "7");
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ public List<Object> execute(RedisOperations operations) throws DataAccessExcepti
 		Map<Long, Long> map = new LinkedHashMap<Long, Long>();
 		map.put(10l, 11l);
 		assertThat(results,
-				isEqual(Arrays.asList(new Object[] { 5l, 1l, list, 1l, longSet, true, tupleSet, zSet, true, map })));
+				isEqual(Arrays.asList(new Object[] { 5l, 1L, 1l, list, 1l, longSet, true, tupleSet, zSet, true, map })));
 	}
 
 	@Test