diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercion.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercion.scala
index 0a0bef6c9953..e149bf2f4976 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercion.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/TypeCoercion.scala
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ object TypeCoercion {
       }
     case (MapType(kt1, vt1, valueContainsNull1), MapType(kt2, vt2, valueContainsNull2)) =>
       findTypeFunc(kt1, kt2)
-        .filter { kt => !Cast.forceNullable(kt1, kt) && !Cast.forceNullable(kt2, kt) }
+        .filter { kt => Cast.canCastMapKeyNullSafe(kt1, kt) && Cast.canCastMapKeyNullSafe(kt2, kt) }
         .flatMap { kt =>
           findTypeFunc(vt1, vt2).map { vt =>
             MapType(kt, vt, valueContainsNull1 || valueContainsNull2 ||
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/Cast.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/Cast.scala
index 7c4316fe0843..8177136edfd6 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/Cast.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/Cast.scala
@@ -77,8 +77,7 @@ object Cast {
         resolvableNullability(fn || forceNullable(fromType, toType), tn)
 
     case (MapType(fromKey, fromValue, fn), MapType(toKey, toValue, tn)) =>
-      canCast(fromKey, toKey) &&
-        (!forceNullable(fromKey, toKey)) &&
+      canCast(fromKey, toKey) && canCastMapKeyNullSafe(fromKey, toKey) &&
         canCast(fromValue, toValue) &&
         resolvableNullability(fn || forceNullable(fromValue, toValue), tn)
 
@@ -98,6 +97,11 @@ object Cast {
     case _ => false
   }
 
+  def canCastMapKeyNullSafe(fromType: DataType, toType: DataType): Boolean = {
+    // If the original map key type is NullType, it's OK as the map must be empty.
+    fromType == NullType || !forceNullable(fromType, toType)
+  }
+
   /**
    * Return true if we need to use the `timeZone` information casting `from` type to `to` type.
    * The patterns matched reflect the current implementation in the Cast node.
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala
index 823e432ba4b9..de0f7801a39a 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala
@@ -3487,6 +3487,12 @@ class SQLQuerySuite extends QueryTest with SharedSparkSession with AdaptiveSpark
       }
     }
   }
+
+  test("SPARK-31166: UNION map<null, null> and other maps should not fail") {
+    checkAnswer(
+      sql("(SELECT map()) UNION ALL (SELECT map(1, 2))"),
+      Seq(Row(Map[Int, Int]()), Row(Map(1 -> 2))))
+  }
 }
 
 case class Foo(bar: Option[String])