diff --git a/sqlite_utils/cli.py b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
index c23090283..2eaf497d1 100644
--- a/sqlite_utils/cli.py
+++ b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
@@ -1312,7 +1312,19 @@ def _insert_docs(docs, tracker=None):
                             "--convert must return dict or iterator"
                         )
             else:
-                docs = (fn(doc) or doc for doc in docs)
+
+                def convert_doc(doc, fn=fn):
+                    # A --convert expression that is a statement returns
+                    # None, and means "modify doc in place", so None is
+                    # the one falsy result that falls back to the
+                    # original row. Any other falsy result is a value
+                    # the caller returned deliberately and has to be
+                    # validated like --lines already does, rather than
+                    # silently inserting the row unconverted.
+                    result = fn(doc)
+                    return doc if result is None else result
+
+                docs = (convert_doc(doc) for doc in docs)
 
         _insert_docs(docs, tracker=tracker)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_insert.py b/tests/test_cli_insert.py
index 011786259..3f4e23904 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli_insert.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli_insert.py
@@ -530,6 +530,73 @@ def test_insert_convert_row_modifying_in_place(db_path):
     assert rows == [{"name": "Azi", "is_chicken": 1}]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "convert,expected_value",
+    (
+        ("0", "0"),
+        ('""', "''"),
+        ("[]", "[]"),
+        ("False", "False"),
+    ),
+)
+def test_insert_convert_falsy_result_is_rejected(db_path, convert, expected_value):
+    # A --convert expression that is a statement returns None and is
+    # documented to modify row in place. Every other falsy value used to
+    # be treated the same way, so the row was inserted unconverted.
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        cli.cli,
+        ["insert", db_path, "rows", "-", "--convert", convert],
+        input='{"name": "Azi"}',
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert result.output == (
+        f"Error: Rows must all be dictionaries, got: {expected_value}\n"
+    )
+
+
+def test_insert_convert_returning_none_still_inserts_the_row(db_path):
+    # None stays the in-place signal: a --convert that is a bare
+    # statement returns it, and the row is inserted as it arrived.
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        cli.cli,
+        ["insert", db_path, "rows", "-", "--convert", "None"],
+        input='{"name": "Azi"}',
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    db = Database(db_path)
+    assert list(db.query("select * from rows")) == [{"name": "Azi"}]
+
+
+def test_insert_convert_returning_empty_dict_does_not_insert_the_original(db_path):
+    # {} is a dict, so it is accepted - but it used to be discarded as
+    # falsy and the unconverted row inserted in its place.
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        cli.cli,
+        ["insert", db_path, "rows", "-", "--convert", 'row if row["id"] else {}'],
+        input='[{"id": 1, "name": "Azi"}, {"id": 0, "name": "Not me"}]',
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    db = Database(db_path)
+    # no ORDER BY: the empty row sorts first under "order by id"
+    assert list(db.query("select * from rows")) == [
+        {"id": 1, "name": "Azi"},
+        {"id": None, "name": None},
+    ]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("convert", ("0", "{}"))
+def test_lines_and_json_convert_reject_the_same_falsy_result(db_path, convert):
+    # The two input formats run different expressions, so the same
+    # --convert code has to behave the same way in both
+    for options in ([], ["--lines"]):
+        result = CliRunner().invoke(
+            cli.cli,
+            ["insert", db_path, "rows", "-", *options, "--convert", convert],
+            input='{"name": "Azi"}',
+        )
+        assert result.exit_code == 1, (options, convert, result.output)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "options,expected_error",
     (