diff --git a/src/View/SSViewer_Scope.php b/src/View/SSViewer_Scope.php
index 36af637bd..15a674477 100644
--- a/src/View/SSViewer_Scope.php
+++ b/src/View/SSViewer_Scope.php
@@ -186,6 +186,9 @@ class SSViewer_Scope
     public function getObj($name, $arguments = [], $cache = false, $cacheName = null)
     {
         $on = $this->getItem();
+        if ($on === null) {
+            return null;
+        }
         return $on->obj($name, $arguments, $cache, $cacheName);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/php/View/SSViewerTest.php b/tests/php/View/SSViewerTest.php
index b80b1c809..3b55fa9d9 100644
--- a/tests/php/View/SSViewerTest.php
+++ b/tests/php/View/SSViewerTest.php
@@ -364,6 +364,12 @@ SS;
         );
     }
 
+    public function testGlobalVariablesReturnNull()
+    {
+        $this->assertEquals('<p></p>', $this->render('<p>$SSViewerTest_GlobalReturnsNull</p>'));
+        $this->assertEquals('<p></p>', $this->render('<p>$SSViewerTest_GlobalReturnsNull.Chained.Properties</p>'));
+    }
+
     public function testCoreGlobalVariableCalls()
     {
         $this->assertEquals(
diff --git a/tests/php/View/SSViewerTest/TestGlobalProvider.php b/tests/php/View/SSViewerTest/TestGlobalProvider.php
index 9fccbb0c0..f005f24ce 100644
--- a/tests/php/View/SSViewerTest/TestGlobalProvider.php
+++ b/tests/php/View/SSViewerTest/TestGlobalProvider.php
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ class TestGlobalProvider implements TemplateGlobalProvider, TestOnly
             'SSViewerTest_GlobalReferencedByString' => 'get_reference',
             'SSViewerTest_GlobalReferencedInArray' => ['method' => 'get_reference'],
 
-            'SSViewerTest_GlobalThatTakesArguments' => ['method' => 'get_argmix', 'casting' => 'HTMLFragment']
-
+            'SSViewerTest_GlobalThatTakesArguments' => ['method' => 'get_argmix', 'casting' => 'HTMLFragment'],
+            'SSViewerTest_GlobalReturnsNull' => 'getNull',
         ];
     }
 
@@ -43,4 +43,9 @@ class TestGlobalProvider implements TemplateGlobalProvider, TestOnly
         $args = func_get_args();
         return 'z' . implode(':', $args) . 'z';
     }
+
+    public static function getNull()
+    {
+        return null;
+    }
 }