diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index c06d9370..1a2c7cb5 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ function parse (args, opts) {
       // if the value is an inner object and we have dot-notation
       // enabled, treat inner objects in config the same as
       // heavily nested dot notations (foo.bar.apple).
-      if (typeof value === 'object' && !Array.isArray(value) && configuration['dot-notation']) {
+      if (typeof value === 'object' && value !== null && !Array.isArray(value) && configuration['dot-notation']) {
         // if the value is an object but not an array, check nested object
         setConfigObject(value, fullKey)
       } else {
diff --git a/test/yargs-parser.js b/test/yargs-parser.js
index d2d56545..0c9bb97c 100644
--- a/test/yargs-parser.js
+++ b/test/yargs-parser.js
@@ -642,13 +642,15 @@ describe('yargs-parser', function () {
         configObjects: [{
           apple: 'apple',
           banana: 42,
-          foo: 'baz'
+          foo: 'baz',
+          gotcha: null
         }]
       })
 
       argv.should.have.property('apple', 'apple')
       argv.should.have.property('banana', 42)
       argv.should.have.property('foo', 'bar')
+      argv.should.have.property('gotcha', null)
     })
 
     it('should use value from config object, if argv value is using default value', function () {