diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisAsyncConnectionImpl.java b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisAsyncConnectionImpl.java
index aea383d5f3..3ec15ecde8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisAsyncConnectionImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisAsyncConnectionImpl.java
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ public RedisFuture<String> set(K key, V value) {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public RedisFuture<V> set(K key, V value, SetArgs setArgs) {
+    public RedisFuture<String> set(K key, V value, SetArgs setArgs) {
         return dispatch(commandBuilder.set(key, value, setArgs));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisCommandBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisCommandBuilder.java
index 7fa885d63d..76005025ea 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisCommandBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisCommandBuilder.java
@@ -779,10 +779,10 @@ public Command<K, V, String> set(K key, V value) {
         return createCommand(SET, new StatusOutput<K, V>(codec), key, value);
     }
 
-    public Command<K, V, V> set(K key, V value, SetArgs setArgs) {
+    public Command<K, V, String> set(K key, V value, SetArgs setArgs) {
         CommandArgs<K, V> args = new CommandArgs<K, V>(codec).addKey(key).addValue(value);
         setArgs.build(args);
-        return createCommand(SET, new ValueOutput<K, V>(codec), args);
+        return createCommand(SET, new StatusOutput<K, V>(codec), args);
     }
 
     public Command<K, V, Long> setbit(K key, long offset, int value) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisStringsAsyncConnection.java b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisStringsAsyncConnection.java
index 181b22ffc7..d1fe1f1c68 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisStringsAsyncConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisStringsAsyncConnection.java
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ public interface RedisStringsAsyncConnection<K, V> {
      * 
      * @return RedisFuture&lt;V&gt; simple-string-reply {@code OK} if {@code SET} was executed correctly.
      */
-    RedisFuture<V> set(K key, V value, SetArgs setArgs);
+    RedisFuture<String> set(K key, V value, SetArgs setArgs);
 
     /**
      * Sets or clears the bit at offset in the string value stored at key.
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisStringsConnection.java b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisStringsConnection.java
index 06eccc7984..ce79a1df3f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisStringsConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/RedisStringsConnection.java
@@ -265,9 +265,9 @@ public interface RedisStringsConnection<K, V> {
      * @param value the value
      * @param setArgs the setArgs
      * 
-     * @return V simple-string-reply {@code OK} if {@code SET} was executed correctly.
+     * @return String simple-string-reply {@code OK} if {@code SET} was executed correctly.
      */
-    V set(K key, V value, SetArgs setArgs);
+    String set(K key, V value, SetArgs setArgs);
 
     /**
      * Sets or clears the bit at offset in the string value stored at key.
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/protocol/CommandOutput.java b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/protocol/CommandOutput.java
index 7f7bc8cc39..58125eb54e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/protocol/CommandOutput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/protocol/CommandOutput.java
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@ public void complete(int depth) {
     }
 
     protected String decodeAscii(ByteBuffer bytes) {
+        if(bytes == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
         char[] chars = new char[bytes.remaining()];
         for (int i = 0; i < chars.length; i++) {
             chars[i] = (char) bytes.get();
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/CustomCodecTest.java b/src/test/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/CustomCodecTest.java
index 12544454f4..df5a4f6e7b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/CustomCodecTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/CustomCodecTest.java
@@ -14,17 +14,24 @@
 import java.util.List;
 
 import com.lambdaworks.redis.codec.ByteArrayCodec;
+import com.lambdaworks.redis.protocol.SetArgs;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import com.lambdaworks.redis.codec.RedisCodec;
 
 public class CustomCodecTest extends AbstractCommandTest {
     @Test
-    public void test() throws Exception {
+    public void testJavaSerializer() throws Exception {
         RedisConnection<String, Object> connection = client.connect(new SerializedObjectCodec());
+
         List<String> list = list("one", "two");
         connection.set(key, list);
+
         assertThat(connection.get(key)).isEqualTo(list);
+        assertThat(connection.set(key, list)).isEqualTo("OK");
+        assertThat(connection.set(key, list, SetArgs.Builder.ex(1))).isEqualTo("OK");
+
+        connection.close();
     }
 
     @Test