diff --git a/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers.rb b/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers.rb
index f3476dadec8..e76c9abbe04 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers.rb
@@ -283,7 +283,6 @@ module Gitlab
 
         add_column(table, new, new_type,
                    limit: old_col.limit,
-                   null: old_col.null,
                    precision: old_col.precision,
                    scale: old_col.scale)
 
@@ -307,6 +306,8 @@ module Gitlab
 
         update_column_in_batches(table, new, Arel::Table.new(table)[old])
 
+        change_column_null(table, new, false) unless old_col.null
+
         copy_indexes(table, old, new)
         copy_foreign_keys(table, old, new)
       end
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers_spec.rb
index d6535f97665..dfa3ae9142e 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/database/migration_helpers_spec.rb
@@ -382,7 +382,6 @@ describe Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers, lib: true do
           expect(model).to receive(:add_column).
             with(:users, :new, :integer,
                  limit: old_column.limit,
-                 null: old_column.null,
                  precision: old_column.precision,
                  scale: old_column.scale)
 
@@ -391,6 +390,8 @@ describe Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers, lib: true do
 
           expect(model).to receive(:update_column_in_batches)
 
+          expect(model).to receive(:change_column_null).with(:users, :new, false)
+
           expect(model).to receive(:copy_indexes).with(:users, :old, :new)
           expect(model).to receive(:copy_foreign_keys).with(:users, :old, :new)
 
@@ -408,7 +409,6 @@ describe Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers, lib: true do
           expect(model).to receive(:add_column).
             with(:users, :new, :integer,
                  limit: old_column.limit,
-                 null: old_column.null,
                  precision: old_column.precision,
                  scale: old_column.scale)
 
@@ -417,6 +417,8 @@ describe Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers, lib: true do
 
           expect(model).to receive(:update_column_in_batches)
 
+          expect(model).to receive(:change_column_null).with(:users, :new, false)
+
           expect(model).to receive(:copy_indexes).with(:users, :old, :new)
           expect(model).to receive(:copy_foreign_keys).with(:users, :old, :new)