diff --git a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/aggregate/approx_percentile_cont.rs b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/aggregate/approx_percentile_cont.rs
index b3de7b0b4d36..3dbf1679e230 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/aggregate/approx_percentile_cont.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/aggregate/approx_percentile_cont.rs
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ use arrow::{
 use arrow_array::RecordBatch;
 use arrow_schema::Schema;
 use datafusion_common::{
-    downcast_value, exec_err, internal_err, not_impl_err, plan_err, DataFusionError,
-    Result, ScalarValue,
+    downcast_value, internal_err, not_impl_err, plan_err, DataFusionError, Result,
+    ScalarValue,
 };
 use datafusion_expr::{Accumulator, ColumnarValue};
 use std::{any::Any, iter, sync::Arc};
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ impl Accumulator for ApproxPercentileAccumulator {
 
     fn evaluate(&mut self) -> Result<ScalarValue> {
         if self.digest.count() == 0.0 {
-            return exec_err!("aggregate function needs at least one non-null element");
+            return ScalarValue::try_from(self.return_type.clone());
         }
         let q = self.digest.estimate_quantile(self.percentile);
 
diff --git a/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/aggregate.slt b/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/aggregate.slt
index 09dd62803e3f..19bcf6024b50 100644
--- a/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/aggregate.slt
+++ b/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/aggregate.slt
@@ -2255,9 +2255,10 @@ select median(a) from (select 1 as a where 1=0);
 ----
 NULL
 
-query error DataFusion error: Execution error: aggregate function needs at least one non-null element
+query I
 select approx_median(a) from (select 1 as a where 1=0);
-
+----
+NULL
 
 # aggregate_decimal_sum
 query RT