diff --git a/planetiler-core/pom.xml b/planetiler-core/pom.xml
index f4621268f3..eef160c5d5 100644
--- a/planetiler-core/pom.xml
+++ b/planetiler-core/pom.xml
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
     <geotools.version>32.0</geotools.version>
     <log4j.version>2.24.0</log4j.version>
     <prometheus.version>0.16.0</prometheus.version>
-    <protobuf.version>4.28.2</protobuf.version>
+    <!-- needs to match CEL -->
+    <protobuf.version>4.28.1</protobuf.version>
     <geopackage.version>6.6.5</geopackage.version>
   </properties>
 
diff --git a/planetiler-custommap/src/main/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/Contexts.java b/planetiler-custommap/src/main/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/Contexts.java
index 7063a9c829..f4977bfaaa 100644
--- a/planetiler-custommap/src/main/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/Contexts.java
+++ b/planetiler-custommap/src/main/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/Contexts.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import com.google.api.expr.v1alpha1.Constant;
 import com.google.api.expr.v1alpha1.Decl;
 import com.google.api.expr.v1alpha1.Type;
+import com.google.common.collect.ForwardingMap;
 import com.google.protobuf.NullValue;
 import com.onthegomap.planetiler.config.Arguments;
 import com.onthegomap.planetiler.config.PlanetilerConfig;
@@ -370,7 +371,7 @@ public static ScriptEnvironment<ProcessFeature> description(Root root) {
     public Object apply(String key) {
       if (key != null) {
         return switch (key) {
-          case FEATURE_TAGS -> tagValueProducer.mapTags(feature);
+          case FEATURE_TAGS -> mapWithDefault(tagValueProducer.mapTags(feature), NullValue.NULL_VALUE);
           case FEATURE_ID -> feature.id();
           case FEATURE_SOURCE -> feature.getSource();
           case FEATURE_SOURCE_LAYER -> wrapNullable(feature.getSourceLayer());
@@ -395,6 +396,20 @@ public Object apply(String key) {
       }
     }
 
+    private static <K, V> Map<K, V> mapWithDefault(Map<K, V> map, Object nullValue) {
+      return new ForwardingMap<>() {
+        @Override
+        protected Map<K, V> delegate() {
+          return map;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public V get(Object key) {
+          return map.getOrDefault(key, (V) nullValue);
+        }
+      };
+    }
+
     public FeaturePostMatch createPostMatchContext(List<String> matchKeys) {
       return new FeaturePostMatch(this, matchKeys);
     }
diff --git a/planetiler-custommap/src/test/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/ConfiguredFeatureTest.java b/planetiler-custommap/src/test/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/ConfiguredFeatureTest.java
index 64bdc0056d..f38397f440 100644
--- a/planetiler-custommap/src/test/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/ConfiguredFeatureTest.java
+++ b/planetiler-custommap/src/test/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/ConfiguredFeatureTest.java
@@ -1287,4 +1287,38 @@ void testLineCentroid(String type) {
       assertInstanceOf(Puntal.class, feature.getGeometry());
     }, 1);
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void testWikidataParse() {
+    var config = """
+      sources:
+        osm:
+          type: osm
+          url: geofabrik:rhode-island
+          local_path: data/rhode-island.osm.pbf
+      layers:
+      - id: testLayer
+        features:
+        - source: osm
+          geometry: point
+          attributes:
+          - key: wikidata
+            value: "${feature.tags.wikidata != null ? int(feature.tags.wikidata.replace('Q', '')) : 0}"
+      """;
+    this.planetilerConfig = PlanetilerConfig.from(Arguments.of(Map.of()));
+    testPoint(config, Map.of(
+      "wikidata", "Q235"
+    ), feature -> {
+      assertEquals(Map.of("wikidata", 235L), feature.getAttrsAtZoom(14));
+    }, 1);
+    testPoint(config, Map.of(
+      "wikidata", "235"
+    ), feature -> {
+      assertEquals(Map.of("wikidata", 235L), feature.getAttrsAtZoom(14));
+    }, 1);
+    testPoint(config, Map.of(
+    ), feature -> {
+      assertEquals(Map.of("wikidata", 0L), feature.getAttrsAtZoom(14));
+    }, 1);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/planetiler-custommap/src/test/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/expression/ExpressionTests.java b/planetiler-custommap/src/test/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/expression/ExpressionTests.java
index 92c9e4af57..3f25abef0b 100644
--- a/planetiler-custommap/src/test/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/expression/ExpressionTests.java
+++ b/planetiler-custommap/src/test/java/com/onthegomap/planetiler/custommap/expression/ExpressionTests.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class ExpressionTests {
     "{'a': 2}.has('a', 1, 2)|true|boolean",
     "{'a': 2}.has('a', 3)|false|boolean",
     "{'a': 1}.has('b')|false|boolean",
+    "int({'tags': {'wikidata': 'Q1'}}.tags.wikidata.replace('Q', ''))|1|long",
 
     "coalesce({'a': 1}.get('a'), 2)|1|long",
     "coalesce({'a': 1}.get('b'), 2)|2|long",