diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/voc-shaper.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/voc-shaper.cpp
index 2b5dc5785a..72876fc780 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/voc-shaper.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/voc-shaper.cpp
@@ -912,6 +912,8 @@ bool TRI_ExtractShapedJsonVocShaper (TRI_shaper_t* shaper,
     LOG_TRACE("expecting any object for path %lu, got nothing",
               (unsigned long) pid);
 
+    *shape = nullptr;
+
     return sid == TRI_SHAPE_ILLEGAL;
   }
 
@@ -922,6 +924,8 @@ bool TRI_ExtractShapedJsonVocShaper (TRI_shaper_t* shaper,
               (unsigned long) pid,
               (unsigned long) accessor->_resultSid);
 
+    *shape = nullptr;
+
     return sid == TRI_SHAPE_ILLEGAL;
   }