diff --git a/regress/expected/jsonb_operators.out b/regress/expected/jsonb_operators.out
index 8e2f7a20f..d7d9c18ec 100644
--- a/regress/expected/jsonb_operators.out
+++ b/regress/expected/jsonb_operators.out
@@ -189,6 +189,18 @@ SELECT '{"n":null,"a":1,"b":[1,2],"c":{"1":2},"d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::agtype ? '["e1"
  f
 (1 row)
 
+SELECT 'null'::agtype ? '"a"'::agtype;
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ f
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT 'null'::agtype ? 'null'::agtype;
+ ?column? 
+----------
+ f
+(1 row)
+
 -- errors out
 SELECT '{"n":null,"a":1,"b":[1,2],"c":{"1":2},"d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::agtype ? 'e1';
 ERROR:  invalid input syntax for type agtype
diff --git a/regress/sql/jsonb_operators.sql b/regress/sql/jsonb_operators.sql
index 7cf58acd5..86ca2e01a 100644
--- a/regress/sql/jsonb_operators.sql
+++ b/regress/sql/jsonb_operators.sql
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ SELECT '{"n":null,"a":1,"b":[1,2],"c":{"1":2},"d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::agtype ? '["n",
 SELECT '{"n":null,"a":1,"b":[1,2],"c":{"1":2},"d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::agtype ? '{"n": null}';
 SELECT '{"n":null,"a":1,"b":[1,2],"c":{"1":2},"d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::agtype ? '{"n": null, "b": true}';
 SELECT '{"n":null,"a":1,"b":[1,2],"c":{"1":2},"d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::agtype ? '["e1"]';
+SELECT 'null'::agtype ? '"a"'::agtype;
+SELECT 'null'::agtype ? 'null'::agtype;
 
 -- errors out
 SELECT '{"n":null,"a":1,"b":[1,2],"c":{"1":2},"d":{"1":[2,3]}}'::agtype ? 'e1';
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/agtype_ops.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/agtype_ops.c
index f7f45b467..000f410d2 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/agtype_ops.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/agtype_ops.c
@@ -1322,7 +1322,15 @@ Datum agtype_exists_agtype(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 
     if (AGT_ROOT_IS_SCALAR(agt))
     {
-        agt = agtype_value_to_agtype(extract_entity_properties(agt, false));
+        agtype_value *properties = extract_entity_properties(agt, false);
+
+        /* an agtype null (or null properties) has no keys to look up */
+        if (properties == NULL)
+        {
+            PG_RETURN_BOOL(false);
+        }
+
+        agt = agtype_value_to_agtype(properties);
     }
 
     if (AGT_ROOT_IS_SCALAR(key))