diff --git a/db/db_impl/db_impl.cc b/db/db_impl/db_impl.cc
index 7076f5ff4d..1321c26222 100644
--- a/db/db_impl/db_impl.cc
+++ b/db/db_impl/db_impl.cc
@@ -3802,7 +3802,6 @@ bool DBImpl::KeyMayExist(const ReadOptions& read_options,
                          ColumnFamilyHandle* column_family, const Slice& key,
                          std::string* value, std::string* timestamp,
                          bool* value_found) {
-  assert(value != nullptr);
   assert(read_options.io_activity == Env::IOActivity::kUnknown);
 
   if (value_found != nullptr) {
@@ -3819,7 +3818,9 @@ bool DBImpl::KeyMayExist(const ReadOptions& read_options,
   get_impl_options.value_found = value_found;
   get_impl_options.timestamp = timestamp;
   auto s = GetImpl(roptions, key, get_impl_options);
-  value->assign(pinnable_val.data(), pinnable_val.size());
+  if (value_found && *value_found && value) {
+    value->assign(pinnable_val.data(), pinnable_val.size());
+  }
 
   // If block_cache is enabled and the index block of the table didn't
   // not present in block_cache, the return value will be Status::Incomplete.
diff --git a/db/db_test2.cc b/db/db_test2.cc
index c4590def71..3fc72abc8a 100644
--- a/db/db_test2.cc
+++ b/db/db_test2.cc
@@ -2103,16 +2103,15 @@ TEST_P(PinL0IndexAndFilterBlocksTest,
   ASSERT_EQ(2, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_ADD));
   ASSERT_EQ(0, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_DATA_MISS));
 
-  std::string value;
   // Miss and hit count should remain the same, they're all pinned.
-  ASSERT_TRUE(db_->KeyMayExist(ReadOptions(), handles_[1], "key", &value));
+  ASSERT_TRUE(db_->KeyMayExist(ReadOptions(), handles_[1], "key", nullptr));
   ASSERT_EQ(1, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_FILTER_MISS));
   ASSERT_EQ(0, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_FILTER_HIT));
   ASSERT_EQ(1, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_INDEX_MISS));
   ASSERT_EQ(0, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_INDEX_HIT));
 
   // Miss and hit count should remain the same, they're all pinned.
-  value = Get(1, "key");
+  std::string value = Get(1, "key");
   ASSERT_EQ(1, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_FILTER_MISS));
   ASSERT_EQ(0, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_FILTER_HIT));
   ASSERT_EQ(1, TestGetTickerCount(options, BLOCK_CACHE_INDEX_MISS));