diff --git a/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/common/serialization/ListDeserializer.java b/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/common/serialization/ListDeserializer.java
index 38bd111d9496c..272cbad52a74c 100644
--- a/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/common/serialization/ListDeserializer.java
+++ b/clients/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/common/serialization/ListDeserializer.java
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ private void configureInnerSerde(Map<String, ?> configs, boolean isKey) {
         }
     }
 
-
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private List<Inner> createListInstance(int listSize) {
         try {
@@ -165,17 +164,10 @@ public List<Inner> deserialize(String topic, byte[] data) {
             final int size = dis.readInt();
             List<Inner> deserializedList = createListInstance(size);
             for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
-                int entrySize = -1;
-                if (serStrategy == SerializationStrategy.CONSTANT_SIZE) {
-                    if (nullIndexList.contains(i)) {
-                        deserializedList.add(null);
-                    }
-                    entrySize = primitiveSize;
-                } else if (serStrategy == SerializationStrategy.VARIABLE_SIZE) {
-                    entrySize = dis.readInt();
-                    if (entrySize == ListSerde.NULL_ENTRY_VALUE) {
-                        deserializedList.add(null);
-                    }
+                int entrySize = serStrategy == SerializationStrategy.CONSTANT_SIZE ? primitiveSize : dis.readInt();
+                if (entrySize == ListSerde.NULL_ENTRY_VALUE || (nullIndexList != null && nullIndexList.contains(i))) {
+                    deserializedList.add(null);
+                    continue;
                 }
                 byte[] payload = new byte[entrySize];
                 if (dis.read(payload) == -1) {
diff --git a/docs/streams/upgrade-guide.html b/docs/streams/upgrade-guide.html
index 57389bdc615d0..3ae4573d2071f 100644
--- a/docs/streams/upgrade-guide.html
+++ b/docs/streams/upgrade-guide.html
@@ -150,6 +150,11 @@ <h3><a id="streams_api_changes_300" href="#streams_api_changes_300">Streams API
       (meaning: use broker default replication factor).
       The <code>replication.factor</code> value of <code>-1</code> requires broker version 2.4 or newer.
     </p>
+    <p> The new serde type was introduced <code>ListSerde</code>: </p>
+    <ul>
+        <li> Added class <code>ListSerde</code> to (de)serialize <code>List</code>-based objects </li>
+        <li> Introduced <code>ListSerializer</code> and <code>ListDeserializer</code> to power the new functionality </li>
+    </ul>
 
     <h3><a id="streams_api_changes_280" href="#streams_api_changes_280">Streams API changes in 2.8.0</a></h3>
     <p>
@@ -1104,12 +1109,6 @@ <h3 class="anchor-heading"><a id="streams_api_changes_0101" class="anchor-link">
         <li> JoinWindows has no default size anymore: JoinWindows.of("name").within(1000) changes to JoinWindows.of(1000) </li>
     </ul>
 
-    <p> New serde type <code>ListSerde</code>: </p>
-    <ul>
-        <li> added class <code>ListSerde</code> to (de)serialize <code>List</code>-based objects </li>
-        <li> introduced <code>ListSerializer</code> and <code>ListDeserializer</code> to power the new functionality </li>
-    </ul>
-
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