diff --git a/propagator/xray/lib/opentelemetry/propagator/xray/text_map_propagator.rb b/propagator/xray/lib/opentelemetry/propagator/xray/text_map_propagator.rb
index 46b04aa534..bc7714b998 100644
--- a/propagator/xray/lib/opentelemetry/propagator/xray/text_map_propagator.rb
+++ b/propagator/xray/lib/opentelemetry/propagator/xray/text_map_propagator.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class TextMapPropagator
         #   if extraction fails
         def extract(carrier, context: Context.current, getter: Context::Propagation.text_map_getter)
           header = getter.get(carrier, XRAY_CONTEXT_KEY)
+          return context unless header
+
           match = parse_header(header)
           return context unless match
 
diff --git a/propagator/xray/test/text_map_propagator_test.rb b/propagator/xray/test/text_map_propagator_test.rb
index 0c7e045dc9..656d294fb0 100644
--- a/propagator/xray/test/text_map_propagator_test.rb
+++ b/propagator/xray/test/text_map_propagator_test.rb
@@ -79,6 +79,14 @@
 
       context = propagator.extract(carrier, context: parent_context)
 
+      _(context).must_equal(parent_context)
+    end
+    it 'handles missing header gracefully' do
+      parent_context = OpenTelemetry::Context.empty
+      carrier = {}
+
+      context = propagator.extract(carrier, context: parent_context)
+
       _(context).must_equal(parent_context)
     end
   end