diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/tables/query/QCriteriaOperator.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/tables/query/QCriteriaOperator.java
index 35352192..6dc50b1d 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/tables/query/QCriteriaOperator.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/tables/query/QCriteriaOperator.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public enum QCriteriaOperator
 {
    EQUALS,
    NOT_EQUALS,
+   NOT_EQUALS_OR_IS_NULL,
    IN,
    NOT_IN,
    IS_NULL_OR_IN,
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/modules/backend/implementations/utils/BackendQueryFilterUtils.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/modules/backend/implementations/utils/BackendQueryFilterUtils.java
index e05d0bbd..06d36f64 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/modules/backend/implementations/utils/BackendQueryFilterUtils.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/modules/backend/implementations/utils/BackendQueryFilterUtils.java
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ public class BackendQueryFilterUtils
       {
          case EQUALS -> testEquals(criterion, value);
          case NOT_EQUALS -> !testEquals(criterion, value);
+         case NOT_EQUALS_OR_IS_NULL -> !testEquals(criterion, value) || testBlank(criterion, value);
          case IN -> testIn(criterion, value);
          case NOT_IN -> !testIn(criterion, value);
          case IS_BLANK -> testBlank(criterion, value);
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/modules/backend/implementations/utils/BackendQueryFilterUtilsTest.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/modules/backend/implementations/utils/BackendQueryFilterUtilsTest.java
index 75c8578c..677fb8d8 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/modules/backend/implementations/utils/BackendQueryFilterUtilsTest.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/modules/backend/implementations/utils/BackendQueryFilterUtilsTest.java
@@ -113,6 +113,13 @@ class BackendQueryFilterUtilsTest
       assertFalse(BackendQueryFilterUtils.doesCriteriaMatch(new QFilterCriteria("f", QCriteriaOperator.NOT_IN, "A", "B"), "f", "B"));
       assertTrue(BackendQueryFilterUtils.doesCriteriaMatch(new QFilterCriteria("f", QCriteriaOperator.NOT_IN, List.of()), "f", "A"));
       assertTrue(BackendQueryFilterUtils.doesCriteriaMatch(new QFilterCriteria("f", QCriteriaOperator.NOT_IN, ListBuilder.of(null)), "f", "A"));
+
+      ///////////////////////////
+      // NOT_EQUALS_OR_IS_NULL //
+      ///////////////////////////
+      assertFalse(BackendQueryFilterUtils.doesCriteriaMatch(new QFilterCriteria("f", QCriteriaOperator.NOT_EQUALS_OR_IS_NULL, "A"), "f", "A"));
+      assertTrue(BackendQueryFilterUtils.doesCriteriaMatch(new QFilterCriteria("f", QCriteriaOperator.NOT_EQUALS_OR_IS_NULL, "A"), "f", "B"));
+      assertTrue(BackendQueryFilterUtils.doesCriteriaMatch(new QFilterCriteria("f", QCriteriaOperator.NOT_EQUALS_OR_IS_NULL, "A"), "f", null));
    }
 
 
diff --git a/qqq-backend-module-rdbms/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/AbstractRDBMSAction.java b/qqq-backend-module-rdbms/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/AbstractRDBMSAction.java
index ec7e7488..6145e8ef 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-module-rdbms/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/AbstractRDBMSAction.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-module-rdbms/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/AbstractRDBMSAction.java
@@ -534,6 +534,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractRDBMSAction implements QActionInterface
                expectedNoOfParams = 1;
                break;
             }
+            case NOT_EQUALS_OR_IS_NULL:
+            {
+               clause += " != ? OR " + column + " IS NULL ";
+               expectedNoOfParams = 1;
+               break;
+            }
             case IN:
             {
                if(values.isEmpty())
diff --git a/qqq-backend-module-rdbms/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/RDBMSQueryActionTest.java b/qqq-backend-module-rdbms/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/RDBMSQueryActionTest.java
index 637601fa..692ea261 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-module-rdbms/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/RDBMSQueryActionTest.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-module-rdbms/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/rdbms/actions/RDBMSQueryActionTest.java
@@ -148,6 +148,39 @@ public class RDBMSQueryActionTest extends RDBMSActionTest
 
 
 
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   public void testNotEqualsOrIsNullQuery() throws QException
+   {
+      /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // 5 rows, 1 has a null salary, 1 has 1,000,000.                           //
+      // first confirm that query for != returns 3 (the null does NOT come back) //
+      // then, confirm that != or is null gives the (more humanly expected) 4.   //
+      /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      QueryInput queryInput = initQueryRequest();
+      queryInput.setFilter(new QQueryFilter()
+         .withCriteria(new QFilterCriteria()
+            .withFieldName("annualSalary")
+            .withOperator(QCriteriaOperator.NOT_EQUALS)
+            .withValues(List.of(1_000_000))));
+      QueryOutput queryOutput = new RDBMSQueryAction().execute(queryInput);
+      assertEquals(3, queryOutput.getRecords().size(), "Expected # of rows");
+
+      queryInput = initQueryRequest();
+      queryInput.setFilter(new QQueryFilter()
+         .withCriteria(new QFilterCriteria()
+            .withFieldName("annualSalary")
+            .withOperator(QCriteriaOperator.NOT_EQUALS_OR_IS_NULL)
+            .withValues(List.of(1_000_000))));
+      queryOutput = new RDBMSQueryAction().execute(queryInput);
+      assertEquals(4, queryOutput.getRecords().size(), "Expected # of rows");
+      Assertions.assertTrue(queryOutput.getRecords().stream().noneMatch(r -> Objects.equals(1_000_000, r.getValueInteger("annualSalary"))), "Should NOT find expected salary");
+   }
+
+
+
    /*******************************************************************************
     **
     *******************************************************************************/