diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/JavaTypeInference.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/JavaTypeInference.scala
index 61c153c10e47c24834c6ea230496cc541b204c8b..2de066f99498d5c6d34eece5b123de165e7ba19a 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/JavaTypeInference.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/JavaTypeInference.scala
@@ -334,7 +334,11 @@ object JavaTypeInference {
    */
   def serializerFor(beanClass: Class[_]): CreateNamedStruct = {
     val inputObject = BoundReference(0, ObjectType(beanClass), nullable = true)
-    serializerFor(inputObject, TypeToken.of(beanClass)).asInstanceOf[CreateNamedStruct]
+    val nullSafeInput = AssertNotNull(inputObject, Seq("top level input bean"))
+    serializerFor(nullSafeInput, TypeToken.of(beanClass)) match {
+      case expressions.If(_, _, s: CreateNamedStruct) => s
+      case other => CreateNamedStruct(expressions.Literal("value") :: other :: Nil)
+    }
   }
 
   private def serializerFor(inputObject: Expression, typeToken: TypeToken[_]): Expression = {
@@ -417,7 +421,7 @@ object JavaTypeInference {
         case other =>
           val properties = getJavaBeanProperties(other)
           if (properties.length > 0) {
-            CreateNamedStruct(properties.flatMap { p =>
+            val nonNullOutput = CreateNamedStruct(properties.flatMap { p =>
               val fieldName = p.getName
               val fieldType = typeToken.method(p.getReadMethod).getReturnType
               val fieldValue = Invoke(
@@ -426,6 +430,9 @@ object JavaTypeInference {
                 inferExternalType(fieldType.getRawType))
               expressions.Literal(fieldName) :: serializerFor(fieldValue, fieldType) :: Nil
             })
+
+            val nullOutput = expressions.Literal.create(null, nonNullOutput.dataType)
+            expressions.If(IsNull(inputObject), nullOutput, nonNullOutput)
           } else {
             throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
               s"Cannot infer type for class ${other.getName} because it is not bean-compliant")
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/java/test/org/apache/spark/sql/JavaDatasetSuite.java b/sql/core/src/test/java/test/org/apache/spark/sql/JavaDatasetSuite.java
index 8304b728aa2389635e82991f2f36c4e6cfc91315..b25e3493c17b6783ba116e3eb3f708c5b52acbef 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/java/test/org/apache/spark/sql/JavaDatasetSuite.java
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/java/test/org/apache/spark/sql/JavaDatasetSuite.java
@@ -1305,4 +1305,28 @@ public class JavaDatasetSuite implements Serializable {
       spark.createDataset(data, Encoders.bean(NestedComplicatedJavaBean.class));
     ds.collectAsList();
   }
+
+  @Test(expected = RuntimeException.class)
+  public void testNullInTopLevelBean() {
+    NestedSmallBean bean = new NestedSmallBean();
+    // We cannot set null in top-level bean
+    spark.createDataset(Arrays.asList(bean, null), Encoders.bean(NestedSmallBean.class));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testSerializeNull() {
+    NestedSmallBean bean = new NestedSmallBean();
+    Encoder<NestedSmallBean> encoder = Encoders.bean(NestedSmallBean.class);
+    List<NestedSmallBean> beans = Arrays.asList(bean);
+    Dataset<NestedSmallBean> ds1 = spark.createDataset(beans, encoder);
+    Assert.assertEquals(beans, ds1.collectAsList());
+    Dataset<NestedSmallBean> ds2 =
+      ds1.map(new MapFunction<NestedSmallBean, NestedSmallBean>() {
+        @Override
+        public NestedSmallBean call(NestedSmallBean b) throws Exception {
+          return b;
+        }
+      }, encoder);
+    Assert.assertEquals(beans, ds2.collectAsList());
+  }
 }