diff --git a/src/Mapping/Annotation/Blameable.php b/src/Mapping/Annotation/Blameable.php
index 2ffa171883..e57294747a 100644
--- a/src/Mapping/Annotation/Blameable.php
+++ b/src/Mapping/Annotation/Blameable.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ final class Blameable implements GedmoAnnotation
     public $field;
     /** @var mixed */
     public $value;
-    /** @var string|null */
+    /** @var string */
     public $setterMethod;
 
     /**
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public function __construct(
         string $on = 'update',
         $field = null,
         $value = null,
-        ?string $setterMethod = null
+        string $setterMethod = ''
     ) {
         if ([] !== $data) {
             @trigger_error(sprintf(
diff --git a/src/Mapping/Annotation/IpTraceable.php b/src/Mapping/Annotation/IpTraceable.php
index b5731eacdf..508591cc49 100644
--- a/src/Mapping/Annotation/IpTraceable.php
+++ b/src/Mapping/Annotation/IpTraceable.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ final class IpTraceable implements GedmoAnnotation
     public $field;
     /** @var mixed */
     public $value;
-    /** @var string|null */
+    /** @var string */
     public $setterMethod;
 
     /**
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public function __construct(
         string $on = 'update',
         $field = null,
         $value = null,
-        ?string $setterMethod = null
+        string $setterMethod = ''
     ) {
         if ([] !== $data) {
             @trigger_error(sprintf(
diff --git a/src/Mapping/Annotation/SoftDeleteable.php b/src/Mapping/Annotation/SoftDeleteable.php
index d226fe1447..79b1e953f7 100644
--- a/src/Mapping/Annotation/SoftDeleteable.php
+++ b/src/Mapping/Annotation/SoftDeleteable.php
@@ -35,14 +35,19 @@ final class SoftDeleteable implements GedmoAnnotation
     /** @var bool */
     public $hardDelete = true;
 
-    /** @var string|null */
+    /** @var string */
     public $setterMethod;
 
     /**
      * @param array<string, mixed> $data
      */
-    public function __construct(array $data = [], string $fieldName = 'deletedAt', bool $timeAware = false, bool $hardDelete = true, ?string $setterMethod = null)
-    {
+    public function __construct(
+        array $data = [],
+        string $fieldName = 'deletedAt',
+        bool $timeAware = false,
+        bool $hardDelete = true,
+        string $setterMethod = ''
+    ) {
         if ([] !== $data) {
             @trigger_error(sprintf(
                 'Passing an array as first argument to "%s()" is deprecated. Use named arguments instead.',
diff --git a/src/Mapping/Annotation/Timestampable.php b/src/Mapping/Annotation/Timestampable.php
index 57c19e1f99..9f8bd93a27 100644
--- a/src/Mapping/Annotation/Timestampable.php
+++ b/src/Mapping/Annotation/Timestampable.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ final class Timestampable implements GedmoAnnotation
     public $field;
     /** @var mixed */
     public $value;
-    /** @var string|null */
+    /** @var string */
     public $setterMethod;
 
     /**
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public function __construct(
         string $on = 'update',
         $field = null,
         $value = null,
-        ?string $setterMethod = null
+        string $setterMethod = ''
     ) {
         if ([] !== $data) {
             @trigger_error(sprintf(
diff --git a/src/Mapping/Driver/AbstractAnnotationDriver.php b/src/Mapping/Driver/AbstractAnnotationDriver.php
index f6dacded60..6d88540d5b 100644
--- a/src/Mapping/Driver/AbstractAnnotationDriver.php
+++ b/src/Mapping/Driver/AbstractAnnotationDriver.php
@@ -137,9 +137,9 @@ protected function getRelatedClassName($metadata, $name)
     /**
      * Set the setter method for the given field.
      */
-    protected function setSetterMethod(string $field, ?string $method, array &$config): void
+    protected function setSetterMethod(string $field, string $method, array &$config): void
     {
-        if (empty($method)) {
+        if ('' === $method) {
             return;
         }