diff --git a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/script.php b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/script.php
index e8d6a14..c0343f9 100644
--- a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/script.php
+++ b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/script.php
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class Com_WeblinksInstallerScript
 			$category->version          = 1;
 			$category->hits             = 0;
 			$category->modified_user_id = 0;
-			$category->checked_out      = 0;
+			$category->checked_out      = null;
 
 			// Set the location in the tree
 			$category->setLocation(1, 'last-child');
diff --git a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/install.mysql.sql b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/install.mysql.sql
index d7f9596..aba0c38 100644
--- a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/install.mysql.sql
+++ b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/install.mysql.sql
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `#__weblinks` (
   `description` text NOT NULL,
   `hits` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
   `state` tinyint NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
-  `checked_out` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+  `checked_out` int unsigned,
   `checked_out_time` datetime,
   `ordering` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
   `access` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
diff --git a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/install.postgresql.sql b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/install.postgresql.sql
index 3fe25fe..4b6be61 100644
--- a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/install.postgresql.sql
+++ b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/install.postgresql.sql
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ CREATE TABLE "#__weblinks" (
   "description" text NOT NULL,
   "hits" bigint DEFAULT 0 NOT NULL,
   "state" smallint DEFAULT 0 NOT NULL,
-  "checked_out" bigint DEFAULT 0 NOT NULL,
+  "checked_out" integer,
   "checked_out_time" timestamp without time zone,
   "ordering" bigint DEFAULT 0 NOT NULL,
   "access" bigint DEFAULT 1 NOT NULL,
diff --git a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/updates/mysql/4.0.0.sql b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/updates/mysql/4.0.0.sql
index ace1d8b..c8f3342 100644
--- a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/updates/mysql/4.0.0.sql
+++ b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/updates/mysql/4.0.0.sql
@@ -5,12 +5,16 @@ ALTER TABLE `#__weblinks` MODIFY `publish_up` datetime NULL DEFAULT NULL;
 ALTER TABLE `#__weblinks` MODIFY `publish_down` datetime NULL DEFAULT NULL;
 ALTER TABLE `#__weblinks` MODIFY `checked_out_time` datetime NULL DEFAULT NULL;
 
+ALTER TABLE `#__weblinks` MODIFY `checked_out` int unsigned;
+
 UPDATE `#__weblinks` SET `modified` = `created` WHERE `modified` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00';
 
 UPDATE `#__weblinks` SET `publish_up` = NULL WHERE `publish_up` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00';
 UPDATE `#__weblinks` SET `publish_down` = NULL WHERE `publish_down` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00';
 UPDATE `#__weblinks` SET `checked_out_time` = NULL WHERE `checked_out_time` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00';
 
+UPDATE `#__weblinks` SET `checked_out` = null WHERE `checked_out` = 0;
+
 UPDATE `#__categories` SET `modified_time` = `created_time` WHERE `modified_time` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' AND `extension` = 'com_weblinks';
 
 UPDATE `#__categories` SET `checked_out_time` = NULL WHERE `checked_out_time` = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' AND `extension` = 'com_weblinks';
diff --git a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/updates/postgresql/4.0.0.sql b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/updates/postgresql/4.0.0.sql
index ef14431..34080a1 100644
--- a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/updates/postgresql/4.0.0.sql
+++ b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/sql/updates/postgresql/4.0.0.sql
@@ -11,12 +11,17 @@ ALTER TABLE "#__weblinks" ALTER COLUMN "publish_down" DROP DEFAULT;
 ALTER TABLE "#__weblinks" ALTER COLUMN "checked_out_time" DROP NOT NULL;
 ALTER TABLE "#__weblinks" ALTER COLUMN "checked_out_time" DROP DEFAULT;
 
+ALTER TABLE "#__weblinks" ALTER COLUMN "checked_out" DROP DEFAULT;
+ALTER TABLE "#__weblinks" ALTER COLUMN "checked_out" DROP NOT NULL;
+
 UPDATE "#__weblinks" SET "modified" = "created" WHERE "modified" = '1970-01-01 00:00:00';
 
 UPDATE "#__weblinks" SET "publish_up" = NULL WHERE "publish_up" = '1970-01-01 00:00:00';
 UPDATE "#__weblinks" SET "publish_down" = NULL WHERE "publish_down" = '1970-01-01 00:00:00';
 UPDATE "#__weblinks" SET "checked_out_time" = NULL WHERE "checked_out_time" = '1970-01-01 00:00:00';
 
+UPDATE "#__weblinks" SET "checked_out" = null WHERE "checked_out" = 0;
+
 UPDATE "#__categories" SET "modified_time" = "created_time" WHERE "modified_time" = '1970-01-01 00:00:00' AND "extension" = 'com_weblinks';
 
 UPDATE "#__categories" SET "checked_out_time" = NULL WHERE "checked_out_time" = '1970-01-01 00:00:00' AND "extension" = 'com_weblinks';
diff --git a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/src/View/Weblink/HtmlView.php b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/src/View/Weblink/HtmlView.php
index 5205886..bc37f9b 100644
--- a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/src/View/Weblink/HtmlView.php
+++ b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/src/View/Weblink/HtmlView.php
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class HtmlView extends BaseHtmlView
 
 		$user       = $app->getIdentity();
 		$isNew      = ($this->item->id == 0);
-		$checkedOut = !($this->item->checked_out == 0 || $this->item->checked_out == $user->get('id'));
+		$checkedOut = $this->item->checked_out && $this->item->checked_out !== $user->get('id');
 
 		// Since we don't track these assets at the item level, use the category id.
 		$canDo = ContentHelper::getActions('com_weblinks', 'category', $this->item->catid);
diff --git a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/tmpl/weblinks/default.php b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/tmpl/weblinks/default.php
index 2fa9718..a323967 100644
--- a/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/tmpl/weblinks/default.php
+++ b/src/administrator/components/com_weblinks/tmpl/weblinks/default.php
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ if ($saveOrder && !empty($this->items))
 							<?php $item->cat_link = Route::_('index.php?option=com_categories&extension=com_weblinks&task=edit&type=other&cid[]=' . $item->catid); ?>
 							<?php $canCreate      = $user->authorise('core.create',     'com_weblinks.category.' . $item->catid); ?>
 							<?php $canEdit        = $user->authorise('core.edit',       'com_weblinks.category.' . $item->catid); ?>
-							<?php $canCheckin     = $user->authorise('core.manage',     'com_checkin') || $item->checked_out == $user->id || $item->checked_out == 0; ?>
+							<?php $canCheckin     = $user->authorise('core.manage',     'com_checkin') || $item->checked_out == $user->id || !$item->checked_out; ?>
 							<?php $canEditOwn     = $user->authorise('core.edit.own',   'com_weblinks.category.' . $item->catid) && $item->created_by == $user->id; ?>
 							<?php $canChange      = $user->authorise('core.edit.state', 'com_weblinks.category.' . $item->catid) && $canCheckin; ?>
 							<tr class="row<?php echo $i % 2; ?>" data-draggable-group="<?php echo $item->catid; ?>">