diff --git a/app/Factory/AccountFactory.php b/app/Factory/AccountFactory.php
index 86c324f8ed..c5a1d4bdff 100644
--- a/app/Factory/AccountFactory.php
+++ b/app/Factory/AccountFactory.php
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class AccountFactory
                 'user_id'         => $this->user->id,
                 'account_type_id' => $type->id,
                 'name'            => $data['name'],
-                'virtual_balance' => $data['virtual_balance'] ?? '0',
+                'virtual_balance' => $data['virtual_balance'] ?? null,
                 'active'          => true === $data['active'],
                 'iban'            => $data['iban'],
             ];
@@ -109,12 +109,12 @@ class AccountFactory
 
             // remove virtual balance when not an asset account or a liability
             if (!in_array($type->type, $this->canHaveVirtual, true)) {
-                $databaseData['virtual_balance'] = '0';
+                $databaseData['virtual_balance'] = null;
             }
 
             // fix virtual balance when it's empty
-            if ('' === $databaseData['virtual_balance']) {
-                $databaseData['virtual_balance'] = '0';
+            if ('' === (string)$databaseData['virtual_balance']) {
+                $databaseData['virtual_balance'] = null;
             }
 
             $return = Account::create($databaseData);
diff --git a/app/Factory/TransactionJournalFactory.php b/app/Factory/TransactionJournalFactory.php
index f8389f7c2f..ed0e426bcf 100644
--- a/app/Factory/TransactionJournalFactory.php
+++ b/app/Factory/TransactionJournalFactory.php
@@ -538,15 +538,15 @@ class TransactionJournalFactory
         $dataRow = $row->getArrayCopy();
 
         unset($dataRow['import_hash_v2'], $dataRow['original_source']);
-        $json = json_encode($dataRow);
+        $json = json_encode($dataRow, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR, 512);
         if (false === $json) {
             // @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
-            $json = json_encode((string) microtime());
+            $json = json_encode((string) microtime(), JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR, 512);
             Log::error(sprintf('Could not hash the original row! %s', json_last_error_msg()), $dataRow);
             // @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
         }
         $hash = hash('sha256', $json);
-        Log::debug(sprintf('The hash is: %s', $hash));
+        Log::debug(sprintf('The hash is: %s', $hash), $dataRow);
 
         return $hash;
     }
diff --git a/app/Models/Account.php b/app/Models/Account.php
index 83e756efcb..1b92e96505 100644
--- a/app/Models/Account.php
+++ b/app/Models/Account.php
@@ -94,12 +94,6 @@ use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\NotFoundHttpException;
  * @property-read int|null                                              $notes_count
  * @property-read int|null                                              $piggy_banks_count
  * @property-read int|null                                              $transactions_count
- * @property \Illuminate\Support\Carbon|null $created_at
- * @property \Illuminate\Support\Carbon|null $updated_at
- * @property int $account_type_id
- * @property bool $encrypted
- * @property-read \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection|\FireflyIII\Models\AccountMeta[] $accountMeta
- * @property-read \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection|\FireflyIII\Models\PiggyBank[] $piggyBanks
  */
 class Account extends Model
 {
@@ -258,7 +252,11 @@ class Account extends Model
      */
     public function setVirtualBalanceAttribute($value): void
     {
-        $this->attributes['virtual_balance'] = (string) $value;
+        $value = (string)$value;
+        if('' === $value) {
+            $value = null;
+        }
+        $this->attributes['virtual_balance'] = $value;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/app/Services/Internal/Support/JournalServiceTrait.php b/app/Services/Internal/Support/JournalServiceTrait.php
index ee7289477a..b181d2c723 100644
--- a/app/Services/Internal/Support/JournalServiceTrait.php
+++ b/app/Services/Internal/Support/JournalServiceTrait.php
@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ trait JournalServiceTrait
                     'account_type_id' => null,
                     'account_type'    => $preferredType,
                     'name'            => $data['name'],
+                    'virtual_balance' => null,
                     'active'          => true,
                     'iban'            => $data['iban'],
                 ]