diff --git a/library/Zend/Db/RowGateway/RowGateway.php b/library/Zend/Db/RowGateway/RowGateway.php
index 1415d6995e7..d77786adaa3 100644
--- a/library/Zend/Db/RowGateway/RowGateway.php
+++ b/library/Zend/Db/RowGateway/RowGateway.php
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ class RowGateway extends AbstractRowGateway
      */
     public function __construct($primaryKeyColumn, $table, $adapterOrSql = null)
     {
+
         // setup primary key
-        $this->primaryKeyColumn = (array) $primaryKeyColumn;
+        $this->primaryKeyColumn = empty($primaryKeyColumn) ? null : (array) $primaryKeyColumn;
 
         // set table
         $this->table = $table;
diff --git a/tests/ZendTest/Db/RowGateway/RowGatewayTest.php b/tests/ZendTest/Db/RowGateway/RowGatewayTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1ee7fae097e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ZendTest/Db/RowGateway/RowGatewayTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Zend Framework (http://framework.zend.com/)
+ *
+ * @link      http://github.com/zendframework/zf2 for the canonical source repository
+ * @copyright Copyright (c) 2005-2014 Zend Technologies USA Inc. (http://www.zend.com)
+ * @license   http://framework.zend.com/license/new-bsd New BSD License
+ */
+
+namespace ZendTest\Db\RowGateway;
+
+use Zend\Db\RowGateway\RowGateway;
+
+class RowGatewayTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
+{
+
+    protected $mockAdapter = null;
+
+    protected $rowGateway = null;
+
+    public function setup()
+    {
+        // mock the adapter, driver, and parts
+        $mockResult = $this->getMock('Zend\Db\Adapter\Driver\ResultInterface');
+        $mockResult->expects($this->any())->method('getAffectedRows')->will($this->returnValue(1));
+        $this->mockResult = $mockResult;
+        $mockStatement = $this->getMock('Zend\Db\Adapter\Driver\StatementInterface');
+        $mockStatement->expects($this->any())->method('execute')->will($this->returnValue($mockResult));
+        $mockConnection = $this->getMock('Zend\Db\Adapter\Driver\ConnectionInterface');
+        $mockDriver = $this->getMock('Zend\Db\Adapter\Driver\DriverInterface');
+        $mockDriver->expects($this->any())->method('createStatement')->will($this->returnValue($mockStatement));
+        $mockDriver->expects($this->any())->method('getConnection')->will($this->returnValue($mockConnection));
+
+        // setup mock adapter
+        $this->mockAdapter = $this->getMock('Zend\Db\Adapter\Adapter', null, array($mockDriver));
+    }
+
+    public function testEmptyPrimaryKey()
+    {
+        try {
+            $this->rowGateway = new \Zend\Db\RowGateway\RowGateway('', 'foo', $this->mockAdapter);
+            
+            $this->fail('Excepcted null primary key exception not thrown');
+        } catch (\Zend\Db\RowGateway\Exception\RuntimeException $e) {
+            $this->assertEquals($e->getMessage(), 'This row object does not have a primary key column set.');
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    protected function setRowGatewayState(array $properties)
+    {
+        $refRowGateway = new \ReflectionObject($this->rowGateway);
+        foreach ($properties as $rgPropertyName => $rgPropertyValue) {
+            $refRowGatewayProp = $refRowGateway->getProperty($rgPropertyName);
+            $refRowGatewayProp->setAccessible(true);
+            $refRowGatewayProp->setValue($this->rowGateway, $rgPropertyValue);
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file