diff --git a/zed_test.go b/zed_test.go
index c05259c4cd..b3b949d07b 100644
--- a/zed_test.go
+++ b/zed_test.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ func TestZed(t *testing.T) {
 		runAllBoomerangs(t, "arrows", data)
 		runAllBoomerangs(t, "parquet", data)
 		runAllBoomerangs(t, "vng", data)
+		runAllBoomerangs(t, "zjson", data)
 		runAllBoomerangs(t, "zson", data)
 	})
 
diff --git a/zio/zjsonio/reader.go b/zio/zjsonio/reader.go
index e0c415850a..c9f368e455 100644
--- a/zio/zjsonio/reader.go
+++ b/zio/zjsonio/reader.go
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ func (r *Reader) decodeValue(b *zcode.Builder, typ zed.Type, body interface{}) e
 	case *zed.TypeEnum:
 		return r.decodeEnum(b, typ, body)
 	case *zed.TypeRecord:
+		if body == nil {
+			b.Append(nil)
+			return nil
+		}
 		return r.decodeRecord(b, typ, body)
 	case *zed.TypeArray:
 		err := r.decodeContainer(b, typ.Type, body, "array")
diff --git a/zio/zjsonio/ztests/vals.yaml b/zio/zjsonio/ztests/vals.yaml
index 9292bf70b9..e7a1f09939 100644
--- a/zio/zjsonio/ztests/vals.yaml
+++ b/zio/zjsonio/ztests/vals.yaml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ inputs:
       null(int64)
       null(string)
       null(type)
+      null({})
 
 outputs:
   - name: stdout