diff --git a/cmd/query/app/grpc_handler.go b/cmd/query/app/grpc_handler.go
index 6954de45520..598df0a4bcc 100644
--- a/cmd/query/app/grpc_handler.go
+++ b/cmd/query/app/grpc_handler.go
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ func (g *GRPCHandler) ArchiveTrace(ctx context.Context, r *api_v2.ArchiveTraceRe
 // FindTraces is the gRPC handler to fetch traces based on TraceQueryParameters.
 func (g *GRPCHandler) FindTraces(r *api_v2.FindTracesRequest, stream api_v2.QueryService_FindTracesServer) error {
 	query := r.GetQuery()
+	if query == nil {
+		return status.Errorf(codes.InvalidArgument, "missing query")
+	}
 	queryParams := spanstore.TraceQueryParameters{
 		ServiceName:   query.ServiceName,
 		OperationName: query.OperationName,
diff --git a/cmd/query/app/grpc_handler_test.go b/cmd/query/app/grpc_handler_test.go
index 99a81f7264d..98d922e6c11 100644
--- a/cmd/query/app/grpc_handler_test.go
+++ b/cmd/query/app/grpc_handler_test.go
@@ -363,6 +363,19 @@ func TestSearchSuccess_SpanStreamingGRPC(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestSearchInvalid_GRPC(t *testing.T) {
+	withServerAndClient(t, func(server *grpcServer, client *grpcClient) {
+		res, err := client.FindTraces(context.Background(), &api_v2.FindTracesRequest{
+			Query: nil,
+		})
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		spanResChunk, err := res.Recv()
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Nil(t, spanResChunk)
+	})
+}
+
 func TestSearchFailure_GRPC(t *testing.T) {
 	withServerAndClient(t, func(server *grpcServer, client *grpcClient) {
 		mockErrorGRPC := fmt.Errorf("whatsamattayou")