diff --git a/lib/std/core/string.c3 b/lib/std/core/string.c3
index 190cea02c..6aeaf49cf 100644
--- a/lib/std/core/string.c3
+++ b/lib/std/core/string.c3
@@ -582,6 +582,7 @@ fn bool ZString.eq(self, ZString other) @operator(==)
 	char* a = self;
 	char* b = other;
 	if (a == b) return true;
+	if (!a || !b) return false;
 	for (;; a++, b++)
 	{
 		char c = *a;
diff --git a/releasenotes.md b/releasenotes.md
index da040f434..1c645502a 100644
--- a/releasenotes.md
+++ b/releasenotes.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 - mkdir/rmdir would not work properly with substring paths on non-windows platforms.
 - Hex string formatter check incorrectly rejected slices.
 - Correctly reject interface methods `type` and `ptr`.
+- Comparing a null ZString with a non-null ZString would crash.
 
 ### Stdlib changes
 
diff --git a/test/unit/stdlib/core/string.c3 b/test/unit/stdlib/core/string.c3
index 2235ad2d8..3e37225ec 100644
--- a/test/unit/stdlib/core/string.c3
+++ b/test/unit/stdlib/core/string.c3
@@ -197,7 +197,12 @@ fn void test_zstring()
 	ZString test3 = "bye";
 	assert(test.zstr_tcopy() == test2);
 	assert(test.zstr_tcopy() != test3);
+	ZString null_string;
+	assert(test != null_string);
+	assert(null_string == null_string);
+	assert(null_string != test);
 }
+
 fn void test_replace()
 {
 	String test = "Befriend some dragons?";