diff --git a/sqlite_utils/db.py b/sqlite_utils/db.py
index e97b7d9cb..a03adb5cf 100644
--- a/sqlite_utils/db.py
+++ b/sqlite_utils/db.py
@@ -2856,6 +2856,19 @@ def fk_with_renamed_columns(fk: ForeignKey) -> ForeignKey:
             ).strip()
         )
 
+        # Columns being changed from TEXT to a numeric type: coerce empty strings to NULL
+        _numeric_sql_types = {"INTEGER", "REAL", "FLOAT", "NUMERIC"}
+        text_to_numeric_cols = {
+            col_name
+            for col_name, new_type in types.items()
+            if existing_columns.get(col_name) == str
+            and COLUMN_TYPE_MAPPING.get(
+                new_type,
+                new_type.upper() if isinstance(new_type, str) else "",
+            )
+            in _numeric_sql_types
+        }
+
         # Copy across data, respecting any renamed columns
         new_cols = []
         old_cols = []
@@ -2866,10 +2879,16 @@ def fk_with_renamed_columns(fk: ForeignKey) -> ForeignKey:
         if "rowid" not in new_cols:
             new_cols.insert(0, "rowid")
             old_cols.insert(0, "rowid")
+
+        def _copy_expr(col):
+            if col in text_to_numeric_cols:
+                return "NULLIF({}, '')".format(quote_identifier(col))
+            return quote_identifier(col)
+
         copy_sql = "INSERT INTO {} ({new_cols})\n   SELECT {old_cols} FROM {};".format(
             quote_identifier(new_table_name),
             quote_identifier(self.name),
-            old_cols=", ".join(quote_identifier(col) for col in old_cols),
+            old_cols=", ".join(_copy_expr(col) for col in old_cols),
             new_cols=", ".join(quote_identifier(col) for col in new_cols),
         )
         sqls.append(copy_sql)
diff --git a/tests/test_transform.py b/tests/test_transform.py
index 362f1ca32..d0da9c316 100644
--- a/tests/test_transform.py
+++ b/tests/test_transform.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
             {"types": {"age": int}},
             [
                 'CREATE TABLE "dogs_new_suffix" (\n   "id" INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,\n   "name" TEXT,\n   "age" INTEGER\n);',
-                'INSERT INTO "dogs_new_suffix" ("rowid", "id", "name", "age")\n   SELECT "rowid", "id", "name", "age" FROM "dogs";',
+                'INSERT INTO "dogs_new_suffix" ("rowid", "id", "name", "age")\n   SELECT "rowid", "id", "name", NULLIF("age", \'\') FROM "dogs";',
                 'DROP TABLE "dogs";',
                 'ALTER TABLE "dogs_new_suffix" RENAME TO "dogs";',
             ],
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
             {"types": {"age": int}, "rename": {"age": "dog_age"}},
             [
                 'CREATE TABLE "dogs_new_suffix" (\n   "id" INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,\n   "name" TEXT,\n   "dog_age" INTEGER\n);',
-                'INSERT INTO "dogs_new_suffix" ("rowid", "id", "name", "dog_age")\n   SELECT "rowid", "id", "name", "age" FROM "dogs";',
+                'INSERT INTO "dogs_new_suffix" ("rowid", "id", "name", "dog_age")\n   SELECT "rowid", "id", "name", NULLIF("age", \'\') FROM "dogs";',
                 'DROP TABLE "dogs";',
                 'ALTER TABLE "dogs_new_suffix" RENAME TO "dogs";',
             ],
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ def tracer(sql, params):
             {"types": {"age": int}},
             [
                 'CREATE TABLE "dogs_new_suffix" (\n   "id" INTEGER,\n   "name" TEXT,\n   "age" INTEGER\n);',
-                'INSERT INTO "dogs_new_suffix" ("rowid", "id", "name", "age")\n   SELECT "rowid", "id", "name", "age" FROM "dogs";',
+                'INSERT INTO "dogs_new_suffix" ("rowid", "id", "name", "age")\n   SELECT "rowid", "id", "name", NULLIF("age", \'\') FROM "dogs";',
                 'DROP TABLE "dogs";',
                 'ALTER TABLE "dogs_new_suffix" RENAME TO "dogs";',
             ],
@@ -904,3 +904,20 @@ def test_transform_with_unique_constraint_implicit_index(fresh_db):
         "You must manually drop this index prior to running this transformation and manually recreate the new index after running this transformation."
         in str(excinfo.value)
     )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("new_type", [int, float, "integer", "float", "REAL"])
+def test_transform_empty_string_to_null_for_numeric_types(fresh_db, new_type):
+    # Empty strings in TEXT columns should become NULL when transforming to numeric types
+    fresh_db["test"].insert_all(
+        [
+            {"id": 1, "value": "42"},
+            {"id": 2, "value": ""},
+            {"id": 3, "value": None},
+        ]
+    )
+    fresh_db["test"].transform(types={"value": new_type})
+    rows = {r["id"]: r["value"] for r in fresh_db["test"].rows}
+    assert rows[1] in (42, 42.0)
+    assert rows[2] is None
+    assert rows[3] is None