diff --git a/src/service/pipeline/batch_execution.rs b/src/service/pipeline/batch_execution.rs
index c20d02c9a9..723a672841 100644
--- a/src/service/pipeline/batch_execution.rs
+++ b/src/service/pipeline/batch_execution.rs
@@ -792,6 +792,14 @@ async fn process_node(
                         };
                     }
 
+                    // A null / non-object record means an upstream function filtered it
+                    // out (e.g. VRL `. = null`). Drop it instead of forwarding to the
+                    // destination, where it would fail at handle_timestamp with
+                    // "Value is not an object" and inflate the failed count.
+                    if !record.is_object() {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
                     let mut destination_stream = stream_params.clone();
                     if destination_stream.stream_name.contains("{") {
                         match resolve_stream_name(&destination_stream.stream_name, &record) {
@@ -943,6 +951,13 @@ async fn process_node(
                     flattened = true;
                 }
 
+                // A null / non-object record means an upstream function filtered it out
+                // (e.g. VRL `. = null`). Skip it: it can't satisfy any condition and
+                // `as_object().unwrap()` below would panic on a null.
+                if !record.is_object() {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 // Evaluate based on condition version
                 let eval_timer = Instant::now();
                 let passes = match condition_params {