diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/ruby/overload_null_runme.rb b/Examples/test-suite/ruby/overload_null_runme.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eabea5e40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/ruby/overload_null_runme.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env ruby
+#
+# Put script description here.
+#
+# 
+# 
+# 
+#
+
+require 'swig_assert'
+require 'overload_null'
+
+include Overload_null
+
+o = Overload.new
+x = X.new
+
+swig_assert(1 == o.byval1(x))
+swig_assert(2 == o.byval1(nil))
+
+swig_assert(3 == o.byval2(nil))
+swig_assert(4 == o.byval2(x))
+
+swig_assert(5 == o.byref1(x))
+swig_assert(6 == o.byref1(nil))
+
+swig_assert(7 == o.byref2(nil))
+swig_assert(8 == o.byref2(x))
+
+swig_assert(9 == o.byconstref1(x))
+swig_assert(10 == o.byconstref1(nil))
+
+swig_assert(11 == o.byconstref2(nil))
+swig_assert(12 == o.byconstref2(x))
+
+# const pointer references
+swig_assert(13 == o.byval1cpr(x))
+swig_assert(14 == o.byval1cpr(nil))
+
+swig_assert(15 == o.byval2cpr(nil))
+swig_assert(16 == o.byval2cpr(x))
+
+# forward class declaration
+swig_assert(17 == o.byval1forwardptr(x))
+swig_assert(18 == o.byval1forwardptr(nil))
+
+swig_assert(19 == o.byval2forwardptr(nil))
+swig_assert(20 == o.byval2forwardptr(x))
+
+swig_assert(21 == o.byval1forwardref(x))
+
+swig_assert(22 == o.byval2forwardref(x))
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/rubyrun.swg b/Lib/ruby/rubyrun.swg
index 1afc5c1d0..b4dd9ddf0 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/rubyrun.swg
+++ b/Lib/ruby/rubyrun.swg
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ SWIG_Ruby_ConvertPtrAndOwn(VALUE obj, void **ptr, swig_type_info *ty, int flags,
   if (NIL_P(obj)) {
     if (ptr)
       *ptr = 0;
-    return SWIG_OK;
+    return (flags & SWIG_POINTER_NO_NULL) ? SWIG_NullReferenceError : SWIG_OK;
   } else {
     if (TYPE(obj) != T_DATA) {
       return SWIG_ERROR;