diff --git a/docstring_parser/epydoc.py b/docstring_parser/epydoc.py
index 4d4dde6..96c9726 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/epydoc.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/epydoc.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def _clean_str(string: str) -> T.Optional[str]:
     return None
 
 
-def parse(text: str) -> Docstring:
+def parse(text: T.Optional[str]) -> Docstring:
     """Parse the epydoc-style docstring into its components.
 
     :returns: parsed docstring
diff --git a/docstring_parser/google.py b/docstring_parser/google.py
index aa4284e..244e698 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/google.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/google.py
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def add_section(self, section: Section):
         self.sections[section.title] = section
         self._setup()
 
-    def parse(self, text: str) -> Docstring:
+    def parse(self, text: T.Optional[str]) -> Docstring:
         """Parse the Google-style docstring into its components.
 
         :returns: parsed docstring
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ def parse(self, text: str) -> Docstring:
         return ret
 
 
-def parse(text: str) -> Docstring:
+def parse(text: T.Optional[str]) -> Docstring:
     """Parse the Google-style docstring into its components.
 
     :returns: parsed docstring
diff --git a/docstring_parser/numpydoc.py b/docstring_parser/numpydoc.py
index 836e776..eca5233 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/numpydoc.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/numpydoc.py
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ def add_section(self, section: Section):
         self.sections[section.title] = section
         self._setup()
 
-    def parse(self, text: str) -> Docstring:
+    def parse(self, text: T.Optional[str]) -> Docstring:
         """Parse the numpy-style docstring into its components.
 
         :returns: parsed docstring
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ def parse(self, text: str) -> Docstring:
         return ret
 
 
-def parse(text: str) -> Docstring:
+def parse(text: T.Optional[str]) -> Docstring:
     """Parse the numpy-style docstring into its components.
 
     :returns: parsed docstring
diff --git a/docstring_parser/parser.py b/docstring_parser/parser.py
index 2710e63..c769a1f 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/parser.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/parser.py
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@
 }
 
 
-def parse(text: str, style: DocstringStyle = DocstringStyle.AUTO) -> Docstring:
+def parse(
+    text: T.Optional[str], style: DocstringStyle = DocstringStyle.AUTO
+) -> Docstring:
     """Parse the docstring into its components.
 
     :param text: docstring text to parse
diff --git a/docstring_parser/rest.py b/docstring_parser/rest.py
index b707df8..772cf2f 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/rest.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/rest.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def _build_meta(args: T.List[str], desc: str) -> DocstringMeta:
     return DocstringMeta(args=args, description=desc)
 
 
-def parse(text: str) -> Docstring:
+def parse(text: T.Optional[str]) -> Docstring:
     """Parse the ReST-style docstring into its components.
 
     :returns: parsed docstring
diff --git a/docstring_parser/tests/test_epydoc.py b/docstring_parser/tests/test_epydoc.py
index 965b440..e9821dc 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/tests/test_epydoc.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/tests/test_epydoc.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "source, expected",
     [
+        pytest.param(None, None, id="No __doc__"),
         ("", None),
         ("\n", None),
         ("Short description", "Short description"),
@@ -17,7 +18,9 @@
         ("\n   Short description\n", "Short description"),
     ],
 )
-def test_short_description(source: str, expected: str) -> None:
+def test_short_description(
+    source: T.Optional[str], expected: T.Optional[str]
+) -> None:
     """Test parsing short description."""
     docstring = parse(source)
     assert docstring.short_description == expected
diff --git a/docstring_parser/tests/test_google.py b/docstring_parser/tests/test_google.py
index b32c04e..5a3570a 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/tests/test_google.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/tests/test_google.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ def test_google_parser_custom_sections_after() -> None:
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "source, expected",
     [
+        pytest.param(None, None, id="No __doc__"),
         ("", None),
         ("\n", None),
         ("Short description", "Short description"),
@@ -150,7 +151,9 @@ def test_google_parser_custom_sections_after() -> None:
         ("\n   Short description\n", "Short description"),
     ],
 )
-def test_short_description(source: str, expected: str) -> None:
+def test_short_description(
+    source: T.Optional[str], expected: T.Optional[str]
+) -> None:
     """Test parsing short description."""
     docstring = parse(source)
     assert docstring.short_description == expected
diff --git a/docstring_parser/tests/test_numpydoc.py b/docstring_parser/tests/test_numpydoc.py
index 2394c61..2f2ef42 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/tests/test_numpydoc.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/tests/test_numpydoc.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "source, expected",
     [
+        pytest.param(None, None, id="No __doc__"),
         ("", None),
         ("\n", None),
         ("Short description", "Short description"),
@@ -16,7 +17,9 @@
         ("\n   Short description\n", "Short description"),
     ],
 )
-def test_short_description(source: str, expected: str) -> None:
+def test_short_description(
+    source: T.Optional[str], expected: T.Optional[str]
+) -> None:
     """Test parsing short description."""
     docstring = parse(source)
     assert docstring.short_description == expected
diff --git a/docstring_parser/tests/test_parser.py b/docstring_parser/tests/test_parser.py
index 73b8c9c..e624976 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/tests/test_parser.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/tests/test_parser.py
@@ -1,10 +1,34 @@
 """Tests for generic docstring routines."""
 
+import typing as T
+
 import pytest
 from docstring_parser.common import DocstringStyle, ParseError
 from docstring_parser.parser import parse
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "source, expected",
+    [
+        pytest.param(None, None, id="No __doc__"),
+        ("", None),
+        ("\n", None),
+        ("Short description", "Short description"),
+        ("\nShort description\n", "Short description"),
+        ("\n   Short description\n", "Short description"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_short_description(
+    source: T.Optional[str], expected: T.Optional[str]
+) -> None:
+    """Test parsing short description."""
+    docstring = parse(source)
+    assert docstring.short_description == expected
+    assert docstring.description == expected
+    assert docstring.long_description is None
+    assert not docstring.meta
+
+
 def test_rest() -> None:
     """Test ReST-style parser autodetection."""
     docstring = parse(
diff --git a/docstring_parser/tests/test_rest.py b/docstring_parser/tests/test_rest.py
index 411c277..19ba3d8 100644
--- a/docstring_parser/tests/test_rest.py
+++ b/docstring_parser/tests/test_rest.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "source, expected",
     [
+        pytest.param(None, None, id="No __doc__"),
         ("", None),
         ("\n", None),
         ("Short description", "Short description"),
@@ -17,7 +18,9 @@
         ("\n   Short description\n", "Short description"),
     ],
 )
-def test_short_description(source: str, expected: str) -> None:
+def test_short_description(
+    source: T.Optional[str], expected: T.Optional[str]
+) -> None:
     """Test parsing short description."""
     docstring = parse(source)
     assert docstring.short_description == expected