diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 7f19402e7..a1137ff24 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ BUG FIXES
 * Fixed issues in `data_write()` when writing labelled data into SPSS format
   and vectors were of different type as value labels.
 
+* Fixed issues in `data_write()` when writing labelled data into SPSS format
+  for character vectors with missing value labels, but existing variable
+  labels.
+
 * Fixed issue in `recode_into()` with probably wrong case number printed in the
   warning when several recode patterns match to one case.
 
diff --git a/R/data_write.R b/R/data_write.R
index b8d710d2e..324b71168 100644
--- a/R/data_write.R
+++ b/R/data_write.R
@@ -142,9 +142,13 @@ data_write <- function(data,
       # character requires special preparation to save value labels
       # haven:::vec_cast_named requires "x" and "labels" to be of same type
       if (is.character(i)) {
+        # only prepare value labels when these are not NULL
+        if (!is.null(value_labels)) {
+          value_labels <- stats::setNames(as.character(value_labels), names(value_labels))
+        }
         haven::labelled(
           x = i,
-          labels = stats::setNames(as.character(value_labels), names(value_labels)),
+          labels = value_labels,
           label = variable_label
         )
       } else {
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-data_write.R b/tests/testthat/test-data_write.R
index a51931bd7..861f67b46 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-data_write.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-data_write.R
@@ -132,3 +132,23 @@ test_that("data_write, no file extension", {
   expect_error(data_write(d, "mytestfile"))
   expect_error(data_write(d, NULL))
 })
+
+
+# writing character vector works for missing value labels ------------------
+
+tmp <- tempfile(fileext = ".sav")
+on.exit(unlink(tmp))
+
+test_that("data_write, existing variable label but missing value labels", {
+  d <- data.frame(
+    a = letters[1:3],
+    stringsAsFactors = FALSE
+  )
+  d$a <- assign_labels(d$a, variable = "First")
+  # expect message, but no error
+  expect_message(data_write(d, tmp), regex = "Preparing")
+
+  # check if data is really the same
+  d2 <- data_read(tmp)
+  expect_identical(d2, d)
+})