diff --git a/Lib/lib-tk/tkSimpleDialog.py b/Lib/lib-tk/tkSimpleDialog.py
index 24388a5e0dc..023475db252 100644
--- a/Lib/lib-tk/tkSimpleDialog.py
+++ b/Lib/lib-tk/tkSimpleDialog.py
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ class _QueryDialog(Dialog):
         self.entry = Entry(master, name="entry")
         self.entry.grid(row=1, padx=5, sticky=W+E)
 
-        if self.initialvalue:
+        if self.initialvalue is not None:
             self.entry.insert(0, self.initialvalue)
             self.entry.select_range(0, END)
 
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index cdea735e243..3d2393c572c 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -576,6 +576,7 @@ Carl Meyer
 Mike Meyer
 Steven Miale
 Trent Mick
+Tom Middleton
 Stan Mihai
 Aristotelis Mikropoulos
 Damien Miller
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 78cc0384c4d..08b632b1a69 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #12288: Consider '0' and '0.0' as valid initialvalue
+  for tkinter SimpleDialog.
+
 - Issue #15489: Add a __sizeof__ implementation for BytesIO objects.
   Patch by Serhiy Storchaka.