diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
index 55f6091de..5dad8cd22 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
@@ -2997,10 +2997,11 @@ NetlistComparer::handle_pin_mismatch (const db::NetGraph &g1, const db::Circuit
   const db::NetGraph *graph = pin1 ? &g1 : &g2;
   const db::Net *net = c->net_for_pin (pin->id ());
 
-  //  Nets which are paired with "null" trigger this condition:
+  //  Nets which are paired with "null" are "safely to be ignored" and
+  //  pin matching against "null" is valid.
   if (net) {
     const db::NetGraphNode &n = graph->node (graph->node_index_for_net (net));
-    if (n.has_other ()) {
+    if (n.has_other () && n.other_net_index () == 0) {
       if (mp_logger) {
         mp_logger->match_pins (pin1, pin2);
       }
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistCompareTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistCompareTests.cc
index 2a4ae00d5..2e32cd4a2 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistCompareTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistCompareTests.cc
@@ -3573,34 +3573,12 @@ TEST(23_NodesRemovedWithError)
     "match_pins $2 $3\n"
     "match_pins $3 $4\n"
     "match_pins $4 $5\n"
-    "match_pins (null) BULK\n"
-    "match_pins (null) $6\n"
+    "pin_mismatch (null) BULK\n"
+    "pin_mismatch (null) $6\n"
     "match_subcircuits $1 $1\n"
     "subcircuit_mismatch $2 $2\n"
     "end_circuit INV2PAIR INV2PAIR NOMATCH\n"
-    "begin_circuit RINGO RINGO\n"
-    "match_nets OSC OSC\n"
-    "match_nets $I7 $I7\n"
-    "match_nets $I6 $I6\n"
-    "match_nets $I5 $I5\n"
-    "match_nets $I21 $I13\n"
-    "match_nets FB FB\n"
-    "match_nets VSS VSS\n"
-    "match_nets VDD VDD\n"
-    "match_nets $I22 $I22\n"
-    "match_nets $I23 $I23\n"
-    "match_nets $I24 $I24\n"
-    "match_nets $I25 $I25\n"
-    "match_pins FB FB\n"
-    "match_pins OSC OSC\n"
-    "match_pins VDD VDD\n"
-    "match_pins VSS VSS\n"
-    "match_subcircuits $1 $1\n"
-    "match_subcircuits $2 $2\n"
-    "match_subcircuits $3 $3\n"
-    "match_subcircuits $4 $4\n"
-    "match_subcircuits $5 $5\n"
-    "end_circuit RINGO RINGO MATCH"
+    "circuit_skipped RINGO RINGO"
   );
   EXPECT_EQ (good, false);
 }