diff --git a/lib/index.ts b/lib/index.ts
index f4d8bc4..706f458 100644
--- a/lib/index.ts
+++ b/lib/index.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ const run = async (filename, action) => {
   const seed = JSON.parse(data.Body.toString());
   console.log('finished transforming seed data');
   
-  const documentClient = new AWS.DynamoDB.DocumentClient();
+  const documentClient = new AWS.DynamoDB.DocumentClient({
+    convertEmptyValues: true
+  });
   console.log('sending data to dynamodb');
   for(let i = 0; i < seed.length;i++) {
     await documentClient[action]({
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4d1e4e1..d2172f4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "aws-cdk-dynamodb-seeder",
-  "version": "1.36.0",
+  "version": "1.36.1",
   "description": "A simple CDK JSON seeder for DynamoDB",
   "scripts": {
     "build": "jsii",