diff --git a/dbtmetabase/metabase.py b/dbtmetabase/metabase.py
index 9c7f3b8..0dade1f 100644
--- a/dbtmetabase/metabase.py
+++ b/dbtmetabase/metabase.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from typing import (
 from dbtmetabase.models import exceptions
 
 from .logger.logging import logger
-from .models.metabase import MetabaseModel, MetabaseColumn, ModelType
+from .models.metabase import MetabaseModel, MetabaseColumn, ModelType, NullValue
 
 
 class MetabaseClient:
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ class MetabaseClient:
         column_visibility = column.visibility_type or "normal"
 
         # Preserve this relationship by default
-        if api_field["fk_target_field_id"] is not None and fk_target_field_id is None:
+        if api_field["fk_target_field_id"] and not fk_target_field_id:
             fk_target_field_id = api_field["fk_target_field_id"]
 
         body_field = {}
@@ -394,14 +394,15 @@ class MetabaseClient:
             body_field["description"] = column_description
         if api_field.get("visibility_type") != column_visibility:
             body_field["visibility_type"] = column_visibility
-        if (
-            column.semantic_type
-            and api_field.get(semantic_type_key) != column.semantic_type
-        ):
-            body_field[semantic_type_key] = column.semantic_type
         if api_field.get("fk_target_field_id") != fk_target_field_id:
             body_field["fk_target_field_id"] = fk_target_field_id
 
+        # Allow explicit null type to override detected one
+        if api_field.get(semantic_type_key) != column.semantic_type and (
+            column.semantic_type or column.semantic_type is NullValue
+        ):
+            body_field[semantic_type_key] = column.semantic_type or None
+
         if body_field:
             # Update with new values
             self.api(
diff --git a/dbtmetabase/models/metabase.py b/dbtmetabase/models/metabase.py
index a93a1b8..d05d424 100644
--- a/dbtmetabase/models/metabase.py
+++ b/dbtmetabase/models/metabase.py
@@ -60,3 +60,13 @@ class MetabaseModel:
         return None
 
     columns: Sequence[MetabaseColumn] = field(default_factory=list)
+
+
+class _NullValue(str):
+    """Explicitly null field value."""
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        return other is None
+
+
+NullValue = _NullValue()
diff --git a/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt.py b/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt.py
index c86c064..42cd902 100644
--- a/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt.py
+++ b/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
 from os.path import expanduser
-from typing import Optional, MutableMapping, Iterable, Tuple, List
+from typing import Optional, Mapping, MutableMapping, Iterable, Tuple, List
 
-from ..models.metabase import MetabaseModel
+from ..models.metabase import METABASE_META_FIELDS, MetabaseModel, NullValue
 
 
 class DbtReader(metaclass=ABCMeta):
@@ -44,3 +44,22 @@ class DbtReader(metaclass=ABCMeta):
         docs_url: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> Tuple[List[MetabaseModel], MutableMapping]:
         pass
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def read_meta_fields(obj: Mapping) -> Mapping:
+        """Reads meta fields from a schem object.
+
+        Args:
+            obj (Mapping): Schema object.
+
+        Returns:
+            Mapping: Field values.
+        """
+
+        vals = {}
+        meta = obj.get("meta", [])
+        for field in METABASE_META_FIELDS:
+            if f"metabase.{field}" in meta:
+                value = meta[f"metabase.{field}"]
+                vals[field] = value if value is not None else NullValue
+        return vals
diff --git a/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt_folder.py b/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt_folder.py
index 9fdde6b..a58acea 100644
--- a/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt_folder.py
+++ b/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt_folder.py
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ import yaml
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import List, Iterable, Mapping, MutableMapping, Optional, Tuple
 
-from ..models.metabase import METABASE_META_FIELDS, ModelType
-from ..models.metabase import MetabaseModel, MetabaseColumn
+from ..models.metabase import MetabaseModel, MetabaseColumn, ModelType
 from ..logger.logging import logger
 from .dbt import DbtReader
 
@@ -227,11 +226,8 @@ class DbtFolderReader(DbtReader):
                         metabase_column.fk_target_field,
                     )
 
-        if "meta" in column:
-            meta = column.get("meta", [])
-            for field in METABASE_META_FIELDS:
-                if f"metabase.{field}" in meta:
-                    setattr(metabase_column, field, meta[f"metabase.{field}"])
+        for field, value in DbtReader.read_meta_fields(column).items():
+            setattr(metabase_column, field, value)
 
         return metabase_column
 
@@ -246,7 +242,6 @@ class DbtFolderReader(DbtReader):
             str -- Name of the reference.
         """
 
-        # matches = re.findall(r"ref\(['\"]([\w\_\-\ ]+)['\"]\)", text)
         # We are catching the rightmost argument of either source or ref which is ultimately the table name
         matches = re.findall(r"['\"]([\w\_\-\ ]+)['\"][ ]*\)$", text.strip())
         if matches:
diff --git a/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt_manifest.py b/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt_manifest.py
index f043c74..7136dc6 100644
--- a/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt_manifest.py
+++ b/dbtmetabase/parsers/dbt_manifest.py
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import json
 from typing import List, Tuple, Mapping, Optional, MutableMapping
 
-from ..models.metabase import METABASE_META_FIELDS, ModelType
-from ..models.metabase import MetabaseModel, MetabaseColumn
+from ..models.metabase import MetabaseModel, MetabaseColumn, ModelType
 from ..logger.logging import logger
 from .dbt import DbtReader
 
@@ -297,7 +296,7 @@ class DbtManifestReader(DbtReader):
             unique_id=unique_id,
             source=source,
             dbt_name=dbt_name,
-            **DbtManifestReader._read_meta_fields(model),
+            **DbtReader.read_meta_fields(model),
         )
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -320,7 +319,7 @@ class DbtManifestReader(DbtReader):
         metabase_column = MetabaseColumn(
             name=column_name,
             description=column_description,
-            **DbtManifestReader._read_meta_fields(column),
+            **DbtReader.read_meta_fields(column),
         )
 
         if relationship:
@@ -335,21 +334,3 @@ class DbtManifestReader(DbtReader):
             )
 
         return metabase_column
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def _read_meta_fields(obj: Mapping) -> Mapping:
-        """Reads meta fields from a schem object.
-
-        Args:
-            obj (Mapping): Schema object.
-
-        Returns:
-            Mapping: Field values.
-        """
-
-        meta = obj.get("meta", [])
-        return {
-            k: meta[f"metabase.{k}"]
-            for k in METABASE_META_FIELDS
-            if f"metabase.{k}" in meta
-        }

diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sample_project/models/schema.yml b/tests/fixtures/sample_project/models/schema.yml
index 84a1398..95ebf6d 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/sample_project/models/schema.yml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sample_project/models/schema.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ models:
         description: Count of the number of orders a customer has placed
         meta:
           metabase.display_name: order_count
+          metabase.semantic_type: null
 
       - name: total_order_amount
         description: Total value (AUD) of a customer's orders
diff --git a/tests/test_dbt_parsers.py b/tests/test_dbt_parsers.py
index 32c92a8..79362bf 100644
--- a/tests/test_dbt_parsers.py
+++ b/tests/test_dbt_parsers.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import logging
 import unittest
 
 from dbtmetabase.models.interface import DbtInterface
-from dbtmetabase.models.metabase import ModelType
+from dbtmetabase.models.metabase import ModelType, NullValue
 from dbtmetabase.parsers.dbt_folder import (
     MetabaseModel,
     MetabaseColumn,
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ class TestDbtManifestReader(unittest.TestCase):
                         name="NUMBER_OF_ORDERS",
                         description="Count of the number of orders a customer has placed",
                         meta_fields={},
-                        semantic_type=None,
+                        semantic_type=NullValue,
                         visibility_type=None,
                         fk_target_table=None,
                         fk_target_field=None,

Clearing an automatic metabase.semantic_type
In 646a914009bdfcfbc7c4c36a377a79d7435c73da, you fixed it so that if we haven't specified a metabase.semantic_type.

This is good, but now, how do we explicitly clear a semantic type set by the automagic rules that Metabase applies on schema sync?

Setting `metabase.semantic_type: null` seems to have no effect. Can we look for the presence of this key, or maybe use a special value?
tests/test_dbt_parsers.py::TestDbtFolderReader::test_read_models tests/test_dbt_parsers.py::TestDbtManifestReader::test_read_models