diff --git a/src/entities/note.js b/src/entities/note.js
index 7a3e89aa4..9c85cc9d0 100644
--- a/src/entities/note.js
+++ b/src/entities/note.js
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ class Note extends Entity {
 
     /** @returns {Promise} */
     async setContent(content) {
+        if (content === null || content === undefined) {
+            throw new Error(`Cannot set null content to note ${this.noteId}`);
+        }
+
         // force updating note itself so that dateModified is represented correctly even for the content
         this.forcedChange = true;
         this.contentLength = content.length;
diff --git a/src/public/javascripts/services/tree.js b/src/public/javascripts/services/tree.js
index e938f188a..58aface6e 100644
--- a/src/public/javascripts/services/tree.js
+++ b/src/public/javascripts/services/tree.js
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ async function createNote(node, parentNoteId, target, extraOptions = {}) {
 
     const {note, branch} = await server.post(`notes/${parentNoteId}/children?target=${target}&targetBranchId=${node.data.branchId}`, {
         title: newNoteName,
-        content: extraOptions.content,
+        content: extraOptions.content || "",
         isProtected: extraOptions.isProtected,
         type: extraOptions.type
     });
diff --git a/src/services/notes.js b/src/services/notes.js
index 7f2f89045..08d148291 100644
--- a/src/services/notes.js
+++ b/src/services/notes.js
@@ -129,6 +129,14 @@ async function createNewNote(params) {
 }
 
 async function createNewNoteWithTarget(target, targetBranchId, params) {
+    if (!params.type) {
+        const parentNote = await repository.getNote(params.parentNoteId);
+
+        // code note type can be inherited, otherwise text is default
+        params.type = parentNote.type === 'code' ? 'code' : 'text';
+        params.mime = parentNote.type === 'code' ? parentNote.mime : 'text/html';
+    }
+
     if (target === 'into') {
         return await createNewNote(params);
     }