diff --git a/src/builtins.c b/src/builtins.c
index b627eed34f8cd2..d3e6781da336a6 100644
--- a/src/builtins.c
+++ b/src/builtins.c
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ static int NOINLINE compare_fields(const jl_value_t *a, const jl_value_t *b, jl_
                 if ((ptra == NULL) != (ptrb == NULL)) {
                     return 0;
                 }
+                else {
+                    continue;
+                }
             }
             if (!ft->layout->haspadding) {
                 if (!bits_equal(ao, bo, ft->size))
diff --git a/test/core.jl b/test/core.jl
index 50332c1d8f6b62..b9aaea3a87a8d7 100644
--- a/test/core.jl
+++ b/test/core.jl
@@ -92,6 +92,14 @@ let abcd = ABCDconst(1, 2, 3, 4)
     @test (1, 2, "not constant", 4) === (abcd.a, abcd.b, abcd.c, abcd.d)
 end
 
+# test `===` handling null pointer in struct #44712
+struct N44712
+    a::Some{Any}
+    b::Int
+    AB() = new()
+end
+
+@test unsafe_load(Ptr{N44712}(pointer(Int[0,1]))) !== unsafe_load(Ptr{N44712}(pointer(Int[0,2])))
 
 f47(x::Vector{Vector{T}}) where {T} = 0
 @test_throws MethodError f47(Vector{Vector}())