diff --git a/src/nvim/lua/executor.c b/src/nvim/lua/executor.c
index 2fb252b3d8..c9d40107c7 100644
--- a/src/nvim/lua/executor.c
+++ b/src/nvim/lua/executor.c
@@ -676,6 +676,10 @@ static void nlua_common_vim_init(lua_State *lstate, bool is_thread)
   lua_createtable(lstate, 0, 0);
   lua_pushcfunction(lstate, &nlua_nil_tostring);
   lua_setfield(lstate, -2, "__tostring");
+  lua_pushcfunction(lstate, &nlua_nil_index);
+  lua_setfield(lstate, -2, "__index");
+  lua_pushcfunction(lstate, &nlua_nil_index);
+  lua_setfield(lstate, -2, "__newindex");
   lua_setmetatable(lstate, -2);
   ref_state->nil_ref = nlua_ref(lstate,  ref_state, -1);
   lua_pushvalue(lstate, -1);
@@ -1395,6 +1399,11 @@ static int nlua_nil_tostring(lua_State *lstate)
   return 1;
 }
 
+static int nlua_nil_index(lua_State *lstate)
+{
+  return luaL_error(lstate, "attempt to index vim.NIL");
+}
+
 static int nlua_empty_dict_tostring(lua_State *lstate)
 {
   lua_pushstring(lstate, "vim.empty_dict()");
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/json_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/json_spec.lua
index 1a1c88e7e2..7d1ba36b7b 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/json_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/json_spec.lua
@@ -178,6 +178,13 @@ describe('vim.json.decode()', function()
       pcall_err(exec_lua, [[return vim.json.decode('{"a":1/*x*/0}', { skip_comments = true })]])
     )
   end)
+
+  it('gives nice error message when attempting to index into null value', function()
+    exec_lua [[ parsed = vim.json.decode('{"foo": null}') ]]
+
+    eq('attempt to index vim.NIL', pcall_err(exec_lua, [[ return parsed.foo.sub_field ]]))
+    eq('attempt to index vim.NIL', pcall_err(exec_lua, [[ parsed.foo.new_field = 3 ]]))
+  end)
 end)
 
 describe('vim.json.encode()', function()