diff --git a/Lib/test/test_curses.py b/Lib/test/test_curses.py
index 6a7a8e320438f8..ca22a4080d78b1 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_curses.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_curses.py
@@ -1017,6 +1017,37 @@ def test_output_string_pair_restored(self):
                                       curses.A_BOLD)
                     self.assertEqual(win.attr_get()[1], pair)
 
+    def test_cell_embedded_null_chars(self):
+        # A NUL cannot share a cell with another character: setcchar() takes a
+        # NUL-terminated string, so the rest of the cell would be dropped.
+        for text in ['a\0', 'a\0\u0301', 'a\0b', '\0a']:
+            with self.subTest(text=text):
+                self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.complexchar, text)
+                if WIDE_BUILD:
+                    self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.stdscr.addch, text)
+
+    def test_cell_null_char(self):
+        # A lone NUL is a character like any other, as addch(0) always was.
+        stdscr = self.stdscr
+        cell = curses.complexchar('\0')
+        self.assertEqual(str(cell), '\0')
+        self.assertEqual(eval(repr(cell), {'curses': curses}), cell)
+        stdscr.erase()
+        stdscr.addch(0, 0, 0)
+        expected = stdscr.instr(0, 0, 4)
+        for ch in ['\0', cell]:
+            with self.subTest(ch=ch):
+                stdscr.erase()
+                stdscr.addch(0, 0, ch)
+                self.assertEqual(stdscr.instr(0, 0, 4), expected)
+        # A cell holding a NUL reads back as the cell that writes it.
+        win = curses.newwin(3, 8, 0, 0)
+        win.insch(0, 0, '\0')
+        self.assertEqual(win.in_wch(0, 0), cell)
+        # A string of cells cannot hold a NUL: it would end a batch write.
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.complexstr, 'a\0b')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, curses.complexstr, '\0')
+
     def test_add_string_behavior(self):
         # addstr() advances the cursor past the written text; addnstr()
         # writes at most n characters.
diff --git a/Modules/_cursesmodule.c b/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
index ea399e25213aef..17c8cc79bd6d3e 100644
--- a/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/_cursesmodule.c
@@ -561,6 +561,10 @@ PyCurses_ConvertToWideCell(PyObject *obj, wchar_t *wch)
        setcchar() would silently drop a trailing spacing character, or fail
        with a generic error for a control-character base. */
     if (nch > 1) {
+        if (wmemchr(wch, L'\0', nch) != NULL) {
+            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "embedded null character");
+            return -1;
+        }
         int bad = wcwidth(wch[0]) < 0;
         for (Py_ssize_t i = 1; !bad && i < nch; i++) {
             bad = wcwidth(wch[i]) != 0;
@@ -908,7 +912,9 @@ curses_cell_text(cursesmodule_state *state, const curses_cell_t *cell)
         PyErr_SetString(state->error, "getcchar() returned ERR");
         return NULL;
     }
-    return PyUnicode_FromWideChar(wstr, -1);
+    /* setcchar() stores no text for a NUL (it takes a NUL-terminated string),
+       so an empty cell holds a NUL character, as on a narrow build. */
+    return PyUnicode_FromWideChar(wstr, wstr[0] == L'\0' ? 1 : -1);
 #else
     char ch = (char)(*cell & A_CHARTEXT);
     return PyUnicode_Decode(&ch, 1, curses_screen_encoding, NULL);
@@ -1318,6 +1324,16 @@ static PyObject *
 complexstr_from_string(cursesmodule_state *state, PyObject *str,
                        attr_t attr, int pair)
 {
+    /* A NUL cell ends a batch write and a cell array read (add_wchnstr(3X)),
+       so a string of cells cannot hold one, as addstr() cannot either. */
+    Py_ssize_t nul = PyUnicode_FindChar(str, 0, 0, PyUnicode_GET_LENGTH(str), 1);
+    if (nul < -1) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if (nul >= 0) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "embedded null character");
+        return NULL;
+    }
 #ifdef HAVE_NCURSESW
     Py_ssize_t n;
     wchar_t *wbuf = PyUnicode_AsWideCharString(str, &n);