diff --git a/.changelog/4124.txt b/.changelog/4124.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cf5a201cfdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/4124.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+all: fixed misleading "empty non-retryable error" message that was appearing in debug logs
+```
diff --git a/google/retry_transport.go b/google/retry_transport.go
index 843dc7c6168..3f3bb445edf 100644
--- a/google/retry_transport.go
+++ b/google/retry_transport.go
@@ -201,6 +201,9 @@ func (t *retryTransport) checkForRetryableError(resp *http.Response, respErr err
 		errToCheck = googleapi.CheckResponse(&respToCheck)
 	}
 
+	if errToCheck == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	if isRetryableError(errToCheck, t.retryPredicates...) {
 		return resource.RetryableError(errToCheck)
 	}