diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/decoder_xml.go b/pkg/yqlib/decoder_xml.go
index c34209e2..99626bd3 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/decoder_xml.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/decoder_xml.go
@@ -299,6 +299,10 @@ func (dec *xmlDecoder) decodeXML(root *xmlNode) error {
 				log.Debug("chardata [%v] for %v", elem.n.Data, elem.label)
 			}
 		case xml.EndElement:
+			if elem == nil {
+				log.Debug("no element, probably bad xml")
+				continue
+			}
 			log.Debug("end element %v", elem.label)
 			elem.state = "finished"
 			// And add it to its parent list
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/xml_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/xml_test.go
index 8194f38c..b1620a0d 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/xml_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/xml_test.go
@@ -263,6 +263,12 @@ const expectedXmlWithProcInstAndDirectives = `<?xml version="1.0"?>
 `
 
 var xmlScenarios = []formatScenario{
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "bad xml",
+		input:       `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?></Child></Root>`,
+		expected:    "+p_xml: version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"\n",
+	},
 	{
 		skipDoc:  true,
 		input:    "  <root>value<!-- comment--> </root>",