diff --git a/src/Testing/CoreTests/Runtime/WorkerQueues/durable_receiver_latched_without_listener.cs b/src/Testing/CoreTests/Runtime/WorkerQueues/durable_receiver_latched_without_listener.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9957db496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Testing/CoreTests/Runtime/WorkerQueues/durable_receiver_latched_without_listener.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+using NSubstitute;
+using Wolverine.ComplianceTests;
+using Wolverine.Runtime;
+using Wolverine.Runtime.WorkerQueues;
+using Wolverine.Transports;
+using Wolverine.Transports.Stub;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace CoreTests.Runtime.WorkerQueues;
+
+public class durable_receiver_latched_without_listener : IAsyncLifetime
+{
+    private readonly Envelope theEnvelope = ObjectMother.Envelope();
+    private readonly IListener theListener = Substitute.For<IListener>();
+    private readonly IHandlerPipeline thePipeline = Substitute.For<IHandlerPipeline>();
+    private readonly DurableReceiver theReceiver;
+    private readonly MockWolverineRuntime theRuntime;
+
+    public durable_receiver_latched_without_listener()
+    {
+        theRuntime = new MockWolverineRuntime();
+
+        var stubEndpoint = new StubEndpoint("one", new StubTransport());
+        theReceiver = new DurableReceiver(stubEndpoint, theRuntime, thePipeline);
+    }
+
+    public async Task InitializeAsync()
+    {
+        // Latch the receiver to simulate draining/paused state
+        theReceiver.Latch();
+
+        // ReceivedAsync with a listener, but envelope.Listener is not yet set
+        // because MarkReceived runs after the latched check. This previously
+        // caused a NullReferenceException in the _deferBlock.
+        await theReceiver.ReceivedAsync(theListener, theEnvelope);
+
+        await theReceiver.DrainAsync();
+    }
+
+    public Task DisposeAsync()
+    {
+        return Task.CompletedTask;
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task should_not_throw_nre_and_should_not_invoke_pipeline()
+    {
+        await thePipeline.DidNotReceive().InvokeAsync(theEnvelope, theReceiver);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task should_defer_on_listener_when_envelope_has_listener()
+    {
+        // When an envelope DOES have a listener set before ReceivedAsync,
+        // it should still defer properly
+        var envelope2 = ObjectMother.Envelope();
+        envelope2.Listener = theListener;
+
+        var stubEndpoint = new StubEndpoint("two", new StubTransport());
+        var receiver2 = new DurableReceiver(stubEndpoint, theRuntime, thePipeline);
+        receiver2.Latch();
+
+        await receiver2.ReceivedAsync(theListener, envelope2);
+        await receiver2.DrainAsync();
+
+        await theListener.Received().DeferAsync(envelope2);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Wolverine/Runtime/WorkerQueues/DurableReceiver.cs b/src/Wolverine/Runtime/WorkerQueues/DurableReceiver.cs
index 419c261d0..2b33d32e8 100644
--- a/src/Wolverine/Runtime/WorkerQueues/DurableReceiver.cs
+++ b/src/Wolverine/Runtime/WorkerQueues/DurableReceiver.cs
@@ -249,7 +249,11 @@ public async ValueTask ReceivedAsync(IListener listener, Envelope envelope)
 
         if (_latched && !envelope.IsFromLocalDurableQueue())
         {
-            await _deferBlock.PostAsync(envelope);
+            if (envelope.Listener != null)
+            {
+                await _deferBlock.PostAsync(envelope);
+            }
+
             return;
         }