diff --git a/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/factory/operators/OperatorParser.java b/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/factory/operators/OperatorParser.java
index e55e6581c..7168a4cc6 100644
--- a/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/factory/operators/OperatorParser.java
+++ b/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/factory/operators/OperatorParser.java
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ private COSObject getParentStructElem(StructureElementAccessObject structureElem
 		if (structTreeRoot != null) {
 			PDNumberTreeNode parentTreeRoot = structTreeRoot.getParentTree();
 			COSObject structureElement = parentTreeRoot == null ? null : structureElementAccessObject.getStructureElement(parentTreeRoot, mcid);
-			if (structureElement != null && !structureElement.empty()) {
+			if (structureElement != null && !structureElement.empty() && structureElement.getType() != COSObjType.COS_NULL) {
 				return structureElement;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/operator/markedcontent/GFOp_BDC.java b/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/operator/markedcontent/GFOp_BDC.java
index 8f540fdc8..08aef48af 100644
--- a/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/operator/markedcontent/GFOp_BDC.java
+++ b/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/operator/markedcontent/GFOp_BDC.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.verapdf.as.ASAtom;
 import org.verapdf.cos.COSBase;
 import org.verapdf.cos.COSKey;
+import org.verapdf.cos.COSObjType;
 import org.verapdf.cos.COSObject;
 import org.verapdf.exceptions.LoopedException;
 import org.verapdf.gf.model.impl.pd.util.PDResourcesHandler;
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ private COSObject getStructElem() {
 		if (structTreeRoot != null && mcid != null) {
 			PDNumberTreeNode parentTreeRoot = structTreeRoot.getParentTree();
 			COSObject structureElement = parentTreeRoot == null ? null : structureElementAccessObject.getStructureElement(parentTreeRoot, mcid);
-			if (structureElement != null && !structureElement.empty()) {
+			if (structureElement != null && !structureElement.empty() && structureElement.getType() != COSObjType.COS_NULL) {
 				return structureElement;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/pd/GFPDContentStream.java b/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/pd/GFPDContentStream.java
index 9b07b607d..7751af72d 100644
--- a/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/pd/GFPDContentStream.java
+++ b/validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/pd/GFPDContentStream.java
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ private COSObject getParentStructureElem(StructureElementAccessObject structureE
 		if (structTreeRoot != null) {
 			PDNumberTreeNode parentTreeRoot = structTreeRoot.getParentTree();
 			COSObject structureElement = parentTreeRoot == null ? null : structureElementAccessObject.getStructureElement(parentTreeRoot, null);
-			if (structureElement != null && !structureElement.empty()) {
+			if (structureElement != null && !structureElement.empty() && structureElement.getType() != COSObjType.COS_NULL) {
 				return structureElement;
 			}
 		}