diff --git a/src/proto/vim9instr.pro b/src/proto/vim9instr.pro
index 6850948..1ba5639 100644
--- a/src/proto/vim9instr.pro
+++ b/src/proto/vim9instr.pro
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 int generate_PUSHJOB(cctx_T *cctx);
 int generate_PUSHBLOB(cctx_T *cctx, blob_T *blob);
 int generate_PUSHFUNC(cctx_T *cctx, char_u *name, type_T *type, int may_prefix);
+int generate_PUSHOBJ(cctx_T *cctx);
 int generate_AUTOLOAD(cctx_T *cctx, char_u *name, type_T *type);
 int generate_GETITEM(cctx_T *cctx, int index, int with_op);
 int generate_SLICE(cctx_T *cctx, int count);
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_vim9_class.vim b/src/testdir/test_vim9_class.vim
index a650cc2..2c6a501 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_vim9_class.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_vim9_class.vim
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@
       var bg: Background           # UNINITIALIZED
       echo Colorscheme.new(bg).GetBackground()
   END
-  v9.CheckScriptFailure(lines, 'E1012: Type mismatch; expected object<Background> but got object<Unknown>')
+  v9.CheckScriptFailure(lines, 'E1360:')
 
   # TODO: this should not give an error but be handled at runtime
   lines =<< trim END
@@ -359,6 +359,46 @@
   v9.CheckScriptFailure(lines, 'E1363:')
 enddef
 
+def Test_null_object_assign_compare()
+  var lines =<< trim END
+    vim9script
+
+    var nullo = null_object
+    def F(): any
+      return nullo
+    enddef
+    assert_equal('object<Unknown>', typename(F()))
+
+    var o0 = F()
+    assert_true(o0 == null_object)
+    assert_true(o0 == null)
+
+    var o1: any = nullo
+    assert_true(o1 == null_object)
+    assert_true(o1 == null)
+
+    def G()
+      var x = null_object
+    enddef
+
+    class C
+    endclass
+    var o2: C
+    assert_true(o2 == null_object)
+    assert_true(o2 == null)
+
+    o2 = null_object
+    assert_true(o2 == null)
+
+    o2 = C.new()
+    assert_true(o2 != null)
+
+    o2 = null_object
+    assert_true(o2 == null)
+  END
+  v9.CheckScriptSuccess(lines)
+enddef
+
 def Test_class_member_initializer()
   var lines =<< trim END
       vim9script
diff --git a/src/typval.c b/src/typval.c
index e8aebee..c159cc9 100644
--- a/src/typval.c
+++ b/src/typval.c
@@ -1578,12 +1578,15 @@
 #ifdef FEAT_JOB_CHANNEL
 	    case VAR_CHANNEL: return tv->vval.v_channel == NULL;
 #endif
+	    // TODO: null_class handling
+	    // case VAR_CLASS: return tv->vval.v_class == NULL;
 	    case VAR_DICT: return tv->vval.v_dict == NULL;
 	    case VAR_FUNC: return tv->vval.v_string == NULL;
 #ifdef FEAT_JOB_CHANNEL
 	    case VAR_JOB: return tv->vval.v_job == NULL;
 #endif
 	    case VAR_LIST: return tv->vval.v_list == NULL;
+	    case VAR_OBJECT: return tv->vval.v_object == NULL;
 	    case VAR_PARTIAL: return tv->vval.v_partial == NULL;
 	    case VAR_STRING: return tv->vval.v_string == NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index fed588e..a41fc69 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -700,6 +700,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1796,
+/**/
     1795,
 /**/
     1794,
diff --git a/src/vim9compile.c b/src/vim9compile.c
index 7427f25..add9eda 100644
--- a/src/vim9compile.c
+++ b/src/vim9compile.c
@@ -2299,6 +2299,9 @@
 	case VAR_CHANNEL:
 	    r = generate_PUSHCHANNEL(cctx);
 	    break;
+	case VAR_OBJECT:
+	    r = generate_PUSHOBJ(cctx);
+	    break;
 	case VAR_NUMBER:
 	case VAR_UNKNOWN:
 	case VAR_ANY:
@@ -2306,7 +2309,6 @@
 	case VAR_VOID:
 	case VAR_INSTR:
 	case VAR_CLASS:
-	case VAR_OBJECT:
 	case VAR_SPECIAL:  // cannot happen
 	    // This is skipped for local variables, they are always
 	    // initialized to zero.  But in a "for" or "while" loop
diff --git a/src/vim9instr.c b/src/vim9instr.c
index 941adf8..3e9c6b6 100644
--- a/src/vim9instr.c
+++ b/src/vim9instr.c
@@ -662,11 +662,11 @@
 /*
  * Generate an ISN_PUSHOBJ instruction.  Object is always NULL.
  */
-    static int
+    int
 generate_PUSHOBJ(cctx_T *cctx)
 {
     RETURN_OK_IF_SKIP(cctx);
-    if (generate_instr_type(cctx, ISN_PUSHOBJ, &t_any) == NULL)
+    if (generate_instr_type(cctx, ISN_PUSHOBJ, &t_object) == NULL)
 	return FAIL;
     return OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/vim9type.c b/src/vim9type.c
index c42e4f4..3955ce2 100644
--- a/src/vim9type.c
+++ b/src/vim9type.c
@@ -907,6 +907,8 @@
 		return MAYBE;	// use runtime type check
 	    if (actual->tt_type != VAR_OBJECT)
 		return FAIL;	// don't use tt_class
+	    if (actual->tt_class == NULL)
+		return OK;	// A null object matches
 
 	    if (class_instance_of(actual->tt_class, expected->tt_class) == FALSE)
 		ret = FAIL;