diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index fd9721a4..49b6f1cc 100644
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 8.4.1
+
+* [FIXED] Returning func be able to handle nil [#140](https://github.com/doug-martin/goqu/issues/140)
+
 ## 8.4.0
 
 * Created new `sqlgen` module to encapsulate sql generation
diff --git a/delete_dataset_test.go b/delete_dataset_test.go
index bedf7d42..aa2e4ec3 100644
--- a/delete_dataset_test.go
+++ b/delete_dataset_test.go
@@ -337,6 +337,18 @@ func (dds *deleteDatasetSuite) TestReturning() {
 				SetFrom(C("items")).
 				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression("a")),
 		},
+		deleteTestCase{
+			ds: bd.Returning(),
+			clauses: exp.NewDeleteClauses().
+				SetFrom(C("items")).
+				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression()),
+		},
+		deleteTestCase{
+			ds: bd.Returning(nil),
+			clauses: exp.NewDeleteClauses().
+				SetFrom(C("items")).
+				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression()),
+		},
 		deleteTestCase{
 			ds: bd.Returning("a").Returning("b"),
 			clauses: exp.NewDeleteClauses().
diff --git a/exp/col.go b/exp/col.go
index cd6f686c..55def0e1 100644
--- a/exp/col.go
+++ b/exp/col.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ func NewColumnListExpression(vals ...interface{}) ColumnListExpression {
 	var cols []Expression
 	for _, val := range vals {
 		switch t := val.(type) {
+		case nil: // do nothing
 		case string:
 			cols = append(cols, ParseIdentifier(t))
 		case ColumnListExpression:
diff --git a/insert_dataset_test.go b/insert_dataset_test.go
index e9ccdd42..7840863a 100644
--- a/insert_dataset_test.go
+++ b/insert_dataset_test.go
@@ -345,6 +345,24 @@ func (ids *insertDatasetSuite) TestReturning() {
 				SetInto(C("items")).
 				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression("a")),
 		},
+		insertTestCase{
+			ds: bd.Returning(),
+			clauses: exp.NewInsertClauses().
+				SetInto(C("items")).
+				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression()),
+		},
+		insertTestCase{
+			ds: bd.Returning(nil),
+			clauses: exp.NewInsertClauses().
+				SetInto(C("items")).
+				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression()),
+		},
+		insertTestCase{
+			ds: bd.Returning(),
+			clauses: exp.NewInsertClauses().
+				SetInto(C("items")).
+				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression()),
+		},
 		insertTestCase{
 			ds: bd.Returning("a").Returning("b"),
 			clauses: exp.NewInsertClauses().
diff --git a/issues_test.go b/issues_test.go
index ce11fcac..03f48ff0 100644
--- a/issues_test.go
+++ b/issues_test.go
@@ -201,6 +201,53 @@ func (gis *githubIssuesSuite) TestIssue118_withNilEmbeddedStructWithExportedFiel
 
 }
 
+// Test for https://github.com/doug-martin/goqu/issues/118
+func (gis *githubIssuesSuite) TestIssue140() {
+
+	sql, arg, err := goqu.Insert(`test`).Returning().ToSQL()
+	gis.NoError(err)
+	gis.Empty(arg)
+	gis.Equal(`INSERT INTO "test" DEFAULT VALUES`, sql)
+
+	sql, arg, err = goqu.Update(`test`).Set(goqu.Record{"a": "b"}).Returning().ToSQL()
+	gis.NoError(err)
+	gis.Empty(arg)
+	gis.Equal(
+		`UPDATE "test" SET "a"='b'`,
+		sql,
+	)
+
+	sql, arg, err = goqu.Delete(`test`).Returning().ToSQL()
+	gis.NoError(err)
+	gis.Empty(arg)
+	gis.Equal(
+		`DELETE FROM "test"`,
+		sql,
+	)
+
+	sql, arg, err = goqu.Insert(`test`).Returning(nil).ToSQL()
+	gis.NoError(err)
+	gis.Empty(arg)
+	gis.Equal(`INSERT INTO "test" DEFAULT VALUES`, sql)
+
+	sql, arg, err = goqu.Update(`test`).Set(goqu.Record{"a": "b"}).Returning(nil).ToSQL()
+	gis.NoError(err)
+	gis.Empty(arg)
+	gis.Equal(
+		`UPDATE "test" SET "a"='b'`,
+		sql,
+	)
+
+	sql, arg, err = goqu.Delete(`test`).Returning(nil).ToSQL()
+	gis.NoError(err)
+	gis.Empty(arg)
+	gis.Equal(
+		`DELETE FROM "test"`,
+		sql,
+	)
+
+}
+
 func TestGithubIssuesSuite(t *testing.T) {
 	suite.Run(t, new(githubIssuesSuite))
 }
diff --git a/update_dataset_test.go b/update_dataset_test.go
index 5dd93424..f779fa10 100644
--- a/update_dataset_test.go
+++ b/update_dataset_test.go
@@ -346,6 +346,18 @@ func (uds *updateDatasetSuite) TestReturning() {
 				SetTable(C("items")).
 				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression("a", "b")),
 		},
+		updateTestCase{
+			ds: bd.Returning(),
+			clauses: exp.NewUpdateClauses().
+				SetTable(C("items")).
+				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression()),
+		},
+		updateTestCase{
+			ds: bd.Returning(nil),
+			clauses: exp.NewUpdateClauses().
+				SetTable(C("items")).
+				SetReturning(exp.NewColumnListExpression()),
+		},
 		updateTestCase{
 			ds: bd.Returning("a", "b").Returning("c"),
 			clauses: exp.NewUpdateClauses().