diff --git a/lisp/wid-edit.el b/lisp/wid-edit.el
index 606093fd293..b9291af2bd5 100644
--- a/lisp/wid-edit.el
+++ b/lisp/wid-edit.el
@@ -2127,7 +2127,8 @@ the earlier input."
 	;; `widget-setup' is called.
 	(overlay (cons (make-marker) (make-marker))))
     (widget-put widget :field-overlay overlay)
-    (insert value)
+    (when value
+      (insert value))
     (and size
 	 (< (length value) size)
 	 (insert-char ?\s (- size (length value))))
@@ -3655,7 +3656,9 @@ match-alternatives: %S"
                            value
                            (widget-get widget :match)
                            (widget-get widget :match-alternatives))
-                          :warning))
+                          :warning)
+                         ;; Make sure we will `read' a string.
+                         (setq value (prin1-to-string value)))
                        (read value)))
 
 (defun widget-restricted-sexp-match (widget value)