diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index c34f72b..b55980e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "julid-rs"
-version = "1.6.18033"
+version = "1.6.180339"
 authors = ["Joe Ardent <code@ardent.nebcorp.com>"]
 edition = "2021"
 keywords = ["ulid", "library", "sqlite", "extension", "julid"]
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index f8903b6..fb9e103 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.618033
+1.6180339
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d89766c..ef6ff1d 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ pub mod sqlite_plugin {
         define_scalar_function(db, "julid_seconds", 1, julid_seconds, flags)?;
         define_scalar_function(db, "julid_counter", 1, julid_counter, flags)?;
         define_scalar_function(db, "julid_sortable", 1, julid_sortable, flags)?;
-        define_scalar_function(db, "julid_string", 1, julid_string, flags)?;
+        define_scalar_function(db, "julid_string", -1, julid_string, FunctionFlags::UTF8)?;
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -76,10 +76,14 @@ pub mod sqlite_plugin {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    /// Return the human-readable base32 Crockford encoding of this Julid.
+    /// Return the human-readable base32 Crockford encoding of the given Julid,
+    /// or create a new one if no arguments.
+    ///
     /// ```text
     /// sqlite> select julid_string(julid_new());
     /// 01H6C7D9CT00009TF3EXXJHX4Y
+    /// sqlite> select julid_string();
+    /// 01HJSHZ0PN000EKP3H94R6TPWH
     /// ```
     pub fn julid_string(context: *mut sqlite3_context, id: &[*mut sqlite3_value]) -> Result<()> {
         if let Some(value) = id.get(0) {
@@ -90,9 +94,7 @@ pub mod sqlite_plugin {
             let id: Julid = bytes.into();
             api::result_text(context, id.as_string())?;
         } else {
-            return Err(sqlite_loadable::Error::new_message(
-                "Could not convert empty Julid to string",
-            ));
+            api::result_text(context, Julid::new().as_string())?;
         }
 
         Ok(())