diff --git a/pipestat/backends/pephub_backend/pephubbackend.py b/pipestat/backends/pephub_backend/pephubbackend.py
index 7d25a27a..513f7a01 100644
--- a/pipestat/backends/pephub_backend/pephubbackend.py
+++ b/pipestat/backends/pephub_backend/pephubbackend.py
@@ -341,6 +341,8 @@ def get_status(self, record_identifier: str) -> Optional[str]:
         except IndexError or KeyError:
             status = None
 
+        if status == "":  # PEPhub returns '' for empty cell
+            status = None
         return status
 
     def select_records(
diff --git a/tests/test_pipestat.py b/tests/test_pipestat.py
index 79bea636..225f4802 100644
--- a/tests/test_pipestat.py
+++ b/tests/test_pipestat.py
@@ -2607,7 +2607,7 @@ def test_pephub_backend_retrieve_many(
 
         assert len(results["records"]) == 2
 
-    def test_get_status_pephub_backend(
+    def test_set_status_pephub_backend(
         self,
         config_file_path,
         schema_file_path,
@@ -2618,25 +2618,29 @@ def test_get_status_pephub_backend(
 
         psm = PipestatManager(pephub_path=PEPHUB_URL, schema_path=schema_file_path)
 
-        result = psm.get_status(record_identifier=rec_ids[0])
+        result = psm.set_status(record_identifier=rec_ids[0], status_identifier="completed")
 
         assert result is None
 
-    def test_set_status_pephub_backend(
+    def test_get_status_pephub_backend(
         self,
         config_file_path,
         schema_file_path,
         results_file_path,
         range_values,
     ):
-        rec_ids = ["test_pipestat_01"]
+        rec_ids = ["sample1", "test_pipestat_01"]
 
         psm = PipestatManager(pephub_path=PEPHUB_URL, schema_path=schema_file_path)
 
-        result = psm.set_status(record_identifier=rec_ids[0], status_identifier="completed")
+        result = psm.get_status(record_identifier=rec_ids[0])
 
         assert result is None
 
+        result = psm.get_status(record_identifier=rec_ids[1])
+
+        assert result == "completed"
+
     def test_pephub_backend_remove(
         self,
         config_file_path,