diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 73f92b0..e730fa2 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Bug fixes:
  - Ensure cartodb_id uses an associated sequence (#33)
  - Fully qualify call to cdb_disable_ddl_hooks from cdb_enable_ddl_hooks
  - Fully qualify call to CDB_UserDataSize from quota trigger
+ - Fix potential infinite loop in CDB_CartodbfyTable
 
 
 0.1.0 - 2014-05-23
diff --git a/scripts-available/CDB_CartodbfyTable.sql b/scripts-available/CDB_CartodbfyTable.sql
index 64eb2a4..c1467db 100644
--- a/scripts-available/CDB_CartodbfyTable.sql
+++ b/scripts-available/CDB_CartodbfyTable.sql
@@ -158,7 +158,11 @@ BEGIN
     RAISE NOTICE 'Trying to recover data from % column', new_name;
     BEGIN
       -- Copy existing values to new field
-      sql := 'UPDATE ' || reloid::text || ' SET cartodb_id = '
+      -- NOTE: using ALTER is a workaround to a PostgreSQL bug and
+      --       is also known to be faster for tables with many rows
+      -- See http://www.postgresql.org/message-id/20140530143150.GA11051@localhost
+      sql := 'ALTER TABLE ' || reloid::text
+          || ' ALTER cartodb_id TYPE int USING '
           || new_name || '::int4';
       RAISE DEBUG 'Running %', sql;
       EXECUTE sql;
@@ -273,7 +277,11 @@ cname, rec2.typname;
       RAISE NOTICE 'Trying to recover data from % coumn', new_name;
       BEGIN
         -- Copy existing values to new field
-        sql := 'UPDATE ' || reloid::text || ' SET ' || rec.cname || ' = '
+        -- NOTE: using ALTER is a workaround to a PostgreSQL bug and
+        --       is also known to be faster for tables with many rows
+        -- See http://www.postgresql.org/message-id/20140530143150.GA11051@localhost
+        sql := 'ALTER TABLE ' || reloid::text || ' ALTER ' || rec.cname
+            || ' TYPE TIMESTAMPTZ USING '
             || new_name || '::timestamptz';
         RAISE DEBUG 'Running %', sql;
         EXECUTE sql;
diff --git a/test/CDB_CartodbfyTableTest.sql b/test/CDB_CartodbfyTableTest.sql
index 8102fc2..515470e 100644
--- a/test/CDB_CartodbfyTableTest.sql
+++ b/test/CDB_CartodbfyTableTest.sql
@@ -200,6 +200,22 @@ SELECT CDB_CartodbfyTableCheck('t', 'unsequenced cartodb_id');
 select cartodb_id FROM t; 
 DROP TABLE t;
 
+-- table with existing the_geom and created_at and containing null values
+-- Really, a test for surviving an longstanding PostgreSQL bug:
+-- http://www.postgresql.org/message-id/20140530143150.GA11051@localhost
+CREATE TABLE t (
+    the_geom geometry(Geometry,4326),
+    created_at timestamptz,
+    updated_at timestamptz
+);
+COPY t (the_geom, created_at, updated_at) FROM stdin;
+0106000020E610000001000000010300000001000000050000009EB8244146435BC017B65E062AD343409EB8244146435BC0F51AF6E2708044400B99891683765AC0F51AF6E2708044400B99891683765AC017B65E062AD343409EB8244146435BC017B65E062AD34340	2012-06-06 21:59:08	2013-06-10 20:17:20
+0106000020E61000000100000001030000000100000005000000DA7763431A1A5CC0FBCEE869313C3A40DA7763431A1A5CC09C1B8F55BC494440F9F4A9C7993356C09C1B8F55BC494440F9F4A9C7993356C0FBCEE869313C3A40DA7763431A1A5CC0FBCEE869313C3A40	2012-06-06 21:59:08	2013-06-10 20:17:20
+\N	\N	\N
+\.
+SELECT CDB_CartodbfyTableCheck('t', 'null geom and timestamp values');
+DROP TABLE t;
+
 -- TODO: table with existing custom-triggered the_geom
 
 DROP FUNCTION CDB_CartodbfyTableCheck(regclass, text);
diff --git a/test/CDB_CartodbfyTableTest_expect b/test/CDB_CartodbfyTableTest_expect
index 4a3d2b0..c3dd05c 100644
--- a/test/CDB_CartodbfyTableTest_expect
+++ b/test/CDB_CartodbfyTableTest_expect
@@ -44,5 +44,8 @@ SELECT 1
 unsequenced cartodb_id cartodbfied fine
 1
 DROP TABLE
+CREATE TABLE
+null geom and timestamp values cartodbfied fine
+DROP TABLE
 DROP FUNCTION
 DROP FUNCTION