diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/v2_str0.py b/zarrs/tests/data/v2_str0.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..162724ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zarrs/tests/data/v2_str0.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env -S uv run
+# /// script
+# requires-python = ">=3.12"
+# dependencies = [
+#     "zarr==3.0.1",
+# ]
+# ///
+
+import zarr
+
+path_out = "tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr"
+array = zarr.create_array(
+    path_out,
+    dtype=str,
+    shape=(5,),
+    chunks=(2,),
+    filters=zarr.codecs.vlen_utf8.VLenUTF8(),
+    compressors=[None],
+    fill_value=0,
+    zarr_format=2,
+    overwrite=True,
+)
+array[:3] = ["a", "bb", ""]
+print(array.info)
+# assert (array[:] == ["a", "bb", "", "", ""]).all() # FAILURE
+
+path_out = "tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr"
+array = zarr.create_array(
+    path_out,
+    dtype=str,
+    shape=(5,),
+    chunks=(2,),
+    filters=zarr.codecs.vlen_utf8.VLenUTF8(),
+    compressors=[None],
+    fill_value=None,
+    zarr_format=2,
+    overwrite=True,
+)
+array[:3] = ["a", "bb", ""]
+print(array.info)
+print(array[:])
+assert (array[:] == ["a", "bb", "", "", ""]).all()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/.zarray b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/.zarray
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aae1beed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/.zarray
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+  "shape": [
+    5
+  ],
+  "chunks": [
+    2
+  ],
+  "fill_value": 0,
+  "order": "C",
+  "filters": [
+    {
+      "id": "vlen-utf8"
+    }
+  ],
+  "dimension_separator": ".",
+  "compressor": null,
+  "zarr_format": 2,
+  "dtype": "|O"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/.zattrs b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/.zattrs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9e26dfee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/.zattrs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/0 b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/0
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..72190f21
Binary files /dev/null and b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/0 differ
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/1 b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ae16874
Binary files /dev/null and b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr/1 differ
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/.zarray b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/.zarray
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a1b39c04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/.zarray
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+  "shape": [
+    5
+  ],
+  "chunks": [
+    2
+  ],
+  "fill_value": null,
+  "order": "C",
+  "filters": [
+    {
+      "id": "vlen-utf8"
+    }
+  ],
+  "dimension_separator": ".",
+  "compressor": null,
+  "zarr_format": 2,
+  "dtype": "|O"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/.zattrs b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/.zattrs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9e26dfee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/.zattrs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/0 b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/0
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..72190f21
Binary files /dev/null and b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/0 differ
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/1 b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ae16874
Binary files /dev/null and b/zarrs/tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr/1 differ
diff --git a/zarrs/tests/zarr_python_compat.rs b/zarrs/tests/zarr_python_compat.rs
index 54b4d195..7f1974ca 100644
--- a/zarrs/tests/zarr_python_compat.rs
+++ b/zarrs/tests/zarr_python_compat.rs
@@ -43,3 +43,31 @@ fn zarr_python_compat_fletcher32_v2() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn zarr_python_v2_compat_str_fv_0() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let store = Arc::new(FilesystemStore::new(
+        "tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_0.zarr",
+    )?);
+    let array = zarrs::array::Array::open(store.clone(), "/")?;
+    let subset_all = array.subset_all();
+    let elements = array.retrieve_array_subset_elements::<String>(&subset_all)?;
+
+    assert_eq!(elements, &["a", "bb", "", "", ""]);
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn zarr_python_v2_compat_str_fv_null() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let store = Arc::new(FilesystemStore::new(
+        "tests/data/zarr_python_compat/str_v2_fv_null.zarr",
+    )?);
+    let array = zarrs::array::Array::open(store.clone(), "/")?;
+    let subset_all = array.subset_all();
+    let elements = array.retrieve_array_subset_elements::<String>(&subset_all)?;
+
+    assert_eq!(elements, &["a", "bb", "", "", ""]);
+
+    Ok(())
+}