diff --git a/lib/instrumentation.js b/lib/instrumentation.js
index dba0a482..6599dc38 100644
--- a/lib/instrumentation.js
+++ b/lib/instrumentation.js
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ function getPackageVersion(request, options) {
 }
 
 const instrumentLoad = (exports.instrumentLoad = (mod, loadRequest, parent, opts = {}) => {
-  if (parent.id.includes(`node_modules/${pkg.name}`) || !enabledInstrumentations.has(loadRequest)) {
+  if (!parent || parent.id.includes(`node_modules/${pkg.name}`) || !enabledInstrumentations.has(loadRequest)) {
     // no magic here
     return mod;
   }
diff --git a/lib/instrumentation.test.js b/lib/instrumentation.test.js
index 03048e28..c435c620 100644
--- a/lib/instrumentation.test.js
+++ b/lib/instrumentation.test.js
@@ -102,3 +102,11 @@ test("we keep track of the active instrumentations in a sorted array", () => {
   // activeInstrumentations now includes child_process
   expect(instrumentation.activeInstrumentations()).toEqual(["child_process", "express"]);
 });
+
+test("don't instrument module if parent is null", () => {
+  instrumentation.clearInstrumentationForTesting();
+  let fakeExpress = createFakeExpress();
+  let m = instrumentation.instrumentLoad(fakeExpress, "express", null);
+  expect(m).toBe(fakeExpress);
+  expect(m.__wrapped).toBeUndefined();
+});