diff --git a/modules/juce_core/native/juce_ObjCHelpers_mac.h b/modules/juce_core/native/juce_ObjCHelpers_mac.h
index cb5d8e24b8..c7c6175922 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/native/juce_ObjCHelpers_mac.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/native/juce_ObjCHelpers_mac.h
@@ -96,20 +96,17 @@ inline var jsonDataToVar (NSData* jsonData)
     return JSON::parse (nsStringToJuce ([jsonString autorelease]));
 }
 
-inline NSDictionary* varObjectToNSDictionary (const var& varToParse)
+// If for any reason the given var cannot be converted into a valid dictionary
+// an empty dictionary will be returned instead
+inline NSDictionary* varToNSDictionary (const var& varToParse)
 {
-    jassert (varToParse.isObject());
-
-    if (! varToParse.isObject())
-        return nullptr;
-
     NSError* error { nullptr };
     NSDictionary* dictionary = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData: varToJsonData (varToParse)
                                                                options: NSJSONReadingMutableContainers
                                                                  error: &error];
 
-    jassert (error == nullptr);
-    jassert (dictionary != nullptr);
+    if (dictionary == nullptr || error != nullptr)
+        return @{};
 
     return dictionary;
 }
@@ -127,7 +124,7 @@ inline NSData* jsonObjectToData (const NSObject* jsonObject)
     return jsonData;
 }
 
-inline var nsDictionaryToVar (NSDictionary* dictionary)
+inline var nsDictionaryToVar (const NSDictionary* dictionary)
 {
     return jsonDataToVar (jsonObjectToData (dictionary));
 }
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/native/juce_ObjCHelpers_mac_test.mm b/modules/juce_core/native/juce_ObjCHelpers_mac_test.mm
index f7c3f185ac..0ad1792d1a 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/native/juce_ObjCHelpers_mac_test.mm
+++ b/modules/juce_core/native/juce_ObjCHelpers_mac_test.mm
@@ -49,8 +49,11 @@ public:
             Array<var> array { 45, 67.8, true, "Hello array!" };
             data->setProperty ("array", array);
 
-            auto *nsDictionary = varObjectToNSDictionary (data.get());
-            auto clone = nsDictionaryToVar (nsDictionary);
+            const auto* nsDictionary = varToNSDictionary (data.get());
+            expect (nsDictionary != nullptr);
+
+            const auto clone = nsDictionaryToVar (nsDictionary);
+            expect (clone.isObject());
 
             expect (clone.getProperty ("integer", {}).isInt());
             expect (clone.getProperty ("double",  {}).isDouble());
@@ -62,7 +65,19 @@ public:
             expect (clone.getProperty ("double",  {}) == var { 2.3 });
             expect (clone.getProperty ("boolean", {}) == var { true });
             expect (clone.getProperty ("string",  {}) == var { "Hello world!" });
-            expect (clone.getProperty ("array",   {}) == array);
+            expect (clone.getProperty ("array",   {}) == var { array });
+        }
+
+        beginTest ("varToNSDictionary converts a void variant to an empty dictionary");
+        {
+            var voidVariant;
+
+            const auto* nsDictionary = varToNSDictionary (voidVariant);
+            expect (nsDictionary != nullptr);
+
+            const auto result = nsDictionaryToVar (nsDictionary);
+            expect (result.isObject());
+            expect (result.getDynamicObject()->getProperties().isEmpty());
         }
     }
 };
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_PushNotifications_ios.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_PushNotifications_ios.cpp
index 7827fa063f..105eb86fcf 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_PushNotifications_ios.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_PushNotifications_ios.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct PushNotificationsDelegateDetails
         action.title          = juceStringToNS (a.title);
         action.behavior       = a.style == Action::text ? UIUserNotificationActionBehaviorTextInput
                                                         : UIUserNotificationActionBehaviorDefault;
-        action.parameters     = varObjectToNSDictionary (a.parameters);
+        action.parameters     = varToNSDictionary (a.parameters);
         action.activationMode = a.triggerInBackground ? UIUserNotificationActivationModeBackground
                                                       : UIUserNotificationActivationModeForeground;
         action.destructive    = (bool) a.destructive;
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ struct PushNotificationsDelegateDetails
 
         auto triggerTime = Time::getCurrentTime() + RelativeTime (n.triggerIntervalSec);
         notification.fireDate   = [NSDate dateWithTimeIntervalSince1970: (double) triggerTime.toMilliseconds() / 1000.0];
-        notification.userInfo   = varObjectToNSDictionary (n.properties);
+        notification.userInfo   = varToNSDictionary (n.properties);
 
         auto soundToPlayString = n.soundToPlay.toString (true);
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ struct PushNotificationsDelegateDetails
         else if (soundToPlayString.isNotEmpty())
             content.sound = [UNNotificationSound soundNamed: juceStringToNS (soundToPlayString)];
 
-        auto* propsDict = (NSMutableDictionary*) varObjectToNSDictionary (n.properties);
+        auto* propsDict = (NSMutableDictionary*) varToNSDictionary (n.properties);
         [propsDict setObject: juceStringToNS (soundToPlayString) forKey: nsStringLiteral ("com.juce.soundName")];
         content.userInfo = propsDict;
 
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_PushNotifications_mac.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_PushNotifications_mac.cpp
index 85ac5bc2a2..d9e4d177a2 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_PushNotifications_mac.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_PushNotifications_mac.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ namespace PushNotificationsDelegateDetailsOsx
         notification.title           = juceStringToNS (n.title);
         notification.subtitle        = juceStringToNS (n.subtitle);
         notification.informativeText = juceStringToNS (n.body);
-        notification.userInfo = varObjectToNSDictionary (n.properties);
+        notification.userInfo = varToNSDictionary (n.properties);
 
         auto triggerTime = Time::getCurrentTime() + RelativeTime (n.triggerIntervalSec);
         notification.deliveryDate = [NSDate dateWithTimeIntervalSince1970: (double) triggerTime.toMilliseconds() / 1000.0];