diff --git a/dlls/msi/action.c b/dlls/msi/action.c
index efdc79c1da6..ec008867b2d 100644
--- a/dlls/msi/action.c
+++ b/dlls/msi/action.c
@@ -2578,6 +2578,11 @@ static WCHAR *get_keypath( MSIPACKAGE *package, HKEY root, const WCHAR *path )
     return strdupW( path );
 }
 
+static BOOL is_special_entry( const WCHAR *name, const WCHAR *value )
+{
+     return (name && (name[0] == '*' || name[0] == '+') && !name[1] && !value);
+}
+
 static UINT ITERATE_WriteRegistryValues(MSIRECORD *row, LPVOID param)
 {
     MSIPACKAGE *package = param;
@@ -2612,10 +2617,8 @@ static UINT ITERATE_WriteRegistryValues(MSIRECORD *row, LPVOID param)
         /* null values can have special meanings */
         if (name[0]=='-' && name[1] == 0)
                 return ERROR_SUCCESS;
-        else if ((name[0]=='+' && name[1] == 0) || 
-                 (name[0] == '*' && name[1] == 0))
-                name = NULL;
-        check_first = TRUE;
+        if ((name[0] == '+' || name[0] == '*') && !name[1])
+            check_first = TRUE;
     }
 
     root = MSI_RecordGetInteger(row,2);
@@ -2652,28 +2655,30 @@ static UINT ITERATE_WriteRegistryValues(MSIRECORD *row, LPVOID param)
     }
 
     deformat_string(package, name, &deformated);
-
-    if (!check_first)
+    if (!is_special_entry( name , value ))
     {
-        TRACE("Setting value %s of %s\n",debugstr_w(deformated),
-                        debugstr_w(uikey));
-        RegSetValueExW(hkey, deformated, 0, type, (LPBYTE)value_data, size);
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        DWORD sz = 0;
-        rc = RegQueryValueExW(hkey, deformated, NULL, NULL, NULL, &sz);
-        if (rc == ERROR_SUCCESS || rc == ERROR_MORE_DATA)
+        if (!check_first)
         {
-            TRACE("value %s of %s checked already exists\n",
-                            debugstr_w(deformated), debugstr_w(uikey));
+            TRACE("Setting value %s of %s\n", debugstr_w(deformated),
+                  debugstr_w(uikey));
+            RegSetValueExW(hkey, deformated, 0, type, (LPBYTE)value_data, size);
         }
         else
         {
-            TRACE("Checked and setting value %s of %s\n",
-                            debugstr_w(deformated), debugstr_w(uikey));
-            if (deformated || size)
-                RegSetValueExW(hkey, deformated, 0, type, (LPBYTE) value_data, size);
+            DWORD sz = 0;
+            rc = RegQueryValueExW(hkey, deformated, NULL, NULL, NULL, &sz);
+            if (rc == ERROR_SUCCESS || rc == ERROR_MORE_DATA)
+            {
+                TRACE("value %s of %s checked already exists\n", debugstr_w(deformated),
+                      debugstr_w(uikey));
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                TRACE("Checked and setting value %s of %s\n", debugstr_w(deformated),
+                      debugstr_w(uikey));
+                if (deformated || size)
+                    RegSetValueExW(hkey, deformated, 0, type, (LPBYTE)value_data, size);
+            }
         }
     }
     RegCloseKey(hkey);
@@ -2773,7 +2778,7 @@ static UINT ITERATE_RemoveRegistryValuesOnUninstall( MSIRECORD *row, LPVOID para
     {
         if (name[0] == '+' && !name[1])
             return ERROR_SUCCESS;
-        else if ((name[0] == '-' && !name[1]) || (name[0] == '*' && !name[1]))
+        if ((name[0] == '-' || name[0] == '*') && !name[1])
         {
             delete_key = TRUE;
             name = NULL;
diff --git a/dlls/msi/tests/action.c b/dlls/msi/tests/action.c
index 2b482df14cd..0bd65a0871b 100644
--- a/dlls/msi/tests/action.c
+++ b/dlls/msi/tests/action.c
@@ -487,7 +487,10 @@ static const char wrv_registry_dat[] =
     "Registry\tRoot\tKey\tName\tValue\tComponent_\n"
     "s72\ti2\tl255\tL255\tL0\ts72\n"
     "Registry\tRegistry\n"
-    "regdata\t2\tSOFTWARE\\Wine\\msitest\tValue\t[~]one[~]two[~]three\taugustus";
+    "regdata\t2\tSOFTWARE\\Wine\\msitest\tValue\t[~]one[~]two[~]three\taugustus\n"
+    "regdata1\t2\tSOFTWARE\\Wine\\msitest\t*\t\taugustus\n"
+    "regdata2\t2\tSOFTWARE\\Wine\\msitest\t*\t#%\taugustus\n"
+    "regdata3\t2\tSOFTWARE\\Wine\\msitest\t*\t#x\taugustus\n";
 
 static const char cf_directory_dat[] =
     "Directory\tDirectory_Parent\tDefaultDir\n"
@@ -4572,7 +4575,7 @@ static void test_write_registry_values(void)
     ok(res == ERROR_SUCCESS, "Expected ERROR_SUCCESS, got %d\n", res);
 
     size = MAX_PATH;
-    type = REG_MULTI_SZ;
+    type = 0xdeadbeef;
     memset(path, 'a', MAX_PATH);
     res = RegQueryValueExA(hkey, "Value", NULL, &type, (LPBYTE)path, &size);
     ok(res == ERROR_SUCCESS, "Expected ERROR_SUCCESS, got %d\n", res);
@@ -4580,9 +4583,12 @@ static void test_write_registry_values(void)
     ok(size == 15, "Expected 15, got %d\n", size);
     ok(type == REG_MULTI_SZ, "Expected REG_MULTI_SZ, got %d\n", type);
 
+    res = RegQueryValueExA(hkey, "", NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+    ok(res == ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND, "Expected ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND, got %d\n", res);
+
     RegDeleteValueA(hkey, "Value");
     RegCloseKey(hkey);
-    RegDeleteKeyA(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, "SOFTWARE\\Wine\\msitest");
+    RegDeleteKeyA(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SOFTWARE\\Wine\\msitest");
 
 error:
     DeleteFile(msifile);