diff --git a/exchanges/graphcache/package.json b/exchanges/graphcache/package.json
index adcb0d6467..37772b08ed 100644
--- a/exchanges/graphcache/package.json
+++ b/exchanges/graphcache/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@urql/exchange-graphcache",
-  "version": "4.3.5",
+  "version": "4.3.6-spec-nullability-2",
   "description": "A normalized and configurable cache exchange for urql",
   "sideEffects": false,
   "homepage": "https://formidable.com/open-source/urql/docs/graphcache",
diff --git a/exchanges/graphcache/src/cacheExchange.ts b/exchanges/graphcache/src/cacheExchange.ts
index aeb258498e..b7df1b3fc4 100644
--- a/exchanges/graphcache/src/cacheExchange.ts
+++ b/exchanges/graphcache/src/cacheExchange.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import { visit, DocumentNode } from 'graphql';
+
 import {
   Exchange,
-  formatDocument,
+  formatDocument as core_formatDocument,
   makeOperation,
   Operation,
   OperationResult,
@@ -30,6 +32,14 @@ import { filterVariables, getMainOperation } from './ast';
 import { Store, noopDataState, hydrateData, reserveLayer } from './store';
 import { Data, Dependencies, CacheExchangeOpts } from './types';
 
+/** Modified to strip out nullability operators. */
+const formatDocument = <T extends DocumentNode>(node: T): T =>
+  core_formatDocument(
+    visit(node, {
+      Field: field => ({ ...field, required: 'unset' }),
+    })
+  );
+
 type OperationResultWithMeta = OperationResult & {
   outcome: CacheOutcome;
   dependencies: Dependencies;
diff --git a/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/query.ts b/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/query.ts
index a7bf781a73..1938aab5f0 100644
--- a/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/query.ts
+++ b/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/query.ts
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ const readSelection = (
   let hasFields = false;
   let hasPartials = false;
   let hasChanged = typename !== input.__typename;
-  let node: FieldNode | void;
+  let node: ReturnType<typeof iterate>;
   const output = makeData(input);
   while ((node = iterate()) !== undefined) {
     // Derive the needed data from our node.
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ const readSelection = (
     const fieldArgs = getFieldArguments(node, ctx.variables);
     const fieldAlias = getFieldAlias(node);
     const fieldKey = keyOfField(fieldName, fieldArgs);
+    const fieldRequired = node.required || 'unset';
     const key = joinKeys(entityKey, fieldKey);
     const fieldValue = InMemoryData.readRecord(entityKey, fieldKey);
     const resultValue = result ? result[fieldName] : undefined;
@@ -430,13 +431,17 @@ const readSelection = (
       hasFields = true;
     } else if (
       dataFieldValue === undefined &&
-      ((store.schema && isFieldNullable(store.schema, typename, fieldName)) ||
+      (fieldRequired === 'optional' ||
+        (store.schema && isFieldNullable(store.schema, typename, fieldName)) ||
         !!getFieldError(ctx))
     ) {
-      // The field is uncached or has errored, so it'll be set to null and skipped
+      // The field is skipped since it's nullable & uncached, marked as optional, or has errored
       hasPartials = true;
       dataFieldValue = null;
-    } else if (dataFieldValue === undefined) {
+    } else if (
+      (fieldRequired === 'required' && dataFieldValue == null) ||
+      dataFieldValue === undefined
+    ) {
       // If the field isn't deferred or partial then we have to abort
       ctx.__internal.path.pop();
       return undefined;
diff --git a/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/shared.ts b/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/shared.ts
index a90013c341..0468933c71 100644
--- a/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/shared.ts
+++ b/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/shared.ts
@@ -148,8 +148,13 @@ const isFragmentHeuristicallyMatching = (
   });
 };
 
+export type RequiredStatus = 'required' | 'optional' | 'unset';
+export interface ExtendedFieldNode extends FieldNode {
+  readonly required?: RequiredStatus;
+}
+
 interface SelectionIterator {
-  (): FieldNode | undefined;
+  (): ExtendedFieldNode | undefined;
 }
 
 export const makeSelectionIterator = (
diff --git a/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/write.ts b/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/write.ts
index ef7c6a6d8f..0644895646 100644
--- a/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/write.ts
+++ b/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/write.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { FieldNode, DocumentNode, FragmentDefinitionNode } from 'graphql';
+import { DocumentNode, FragmentDefinitionNode } from 'graphql';
 import { CombinedError } from '@urql/core';
 
 import {
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   getMainOperation,
   normalizeVariables,
   getFieldArguments,
+  isFieldNullable,
   isFieldAvailableOnType,
   getSelectionSet,
   getName,
@@ -197,7 +198,7 @@ const writeSelection = (
     ctx
   );
 
-  let node: FieldNode | void;
+  let node: ReturnType<typeof iterate>;
   while ((node = iterate())) {
     const fieldName = getName(node);
     const fieldArgs = getFieldArguments(node, ctx.variables);
@@ -255,6 +256,15 @@ const writeSelection = (
       fieldValue = data[fieldAlias] = ensureData(
         resolver(fieldArgs || {}, ctx.store, ctx)
       );
+    } else if (
+      fieldValue == null &&
+      node.required === 'optional' &&
+      (!ctx.store.schema ||
+        !isFieldNullable(ctx.store.schema, typename, fieldName))
+    ) {
+      // If the field has errored or it's marked as optional (and we can't assume it's nullable),
+      // we erase it instead of writing it as null
+      fieldValue = undefined as any;
     }
 
     if (node.selectionSet) {