diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/BUILD.bazel
index 1879f9fa65dd..3ea2ab50135a 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/BUILD.bazel
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ go_test(
     shard_count = 16,
     deps = [
         "//pkg/base",
+        "//pkg/clusterversion",
+        "//pkg/jobs/jobsprotectedts",
         "//pkg/keys",
         "//pkg/kv",
         "//pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts",
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ go_test(
         "//pkg/sql/tests",
         "//pkg/testutils",
         "//pkg/testutils/serverutils",
+        "//pkg/testutils/sqlutils",
         "//pkg/testutils/testcluster",
         "//pkg/util/hlc",
         "//pkg/util/log",
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/storage.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/storage.go
index a908a8faed5a..705133da306b 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/storage.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/storage.go
@@ -415,7 +415,13 @@ func rowToRecord(
 
 	if !useDeprecatedProtectedTSStorage(ctx, st, knobs) {
 		target := &ptpb.Target{}
-		if err := protoutil.Unmarshal([]byte(*row[6].(*tree.DBytes)), target); err != nil {
+		targetDBytes, ok := row[6].(*tree.DBytes)
+		if !ok {
+			// We are reading a pre-22.1 protected timestamp record that has a NULL
+			// target column, so there is nothing more to do.
+			return nil
+		}
+		if err := protoutil.Unmarshal([]byte(*targetDBytes), target); err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to unmarshal target for %v", r.ID)
 		}
 		r.Target = target
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/storage_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/storage_test.go
index b808de2a20f3..eb6938fe375e 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage/storage_test.go
@@ -20,9 +20,12 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/base"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/clusterversion"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/jobs/jobsprotectedts"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/keys"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts"
@@ -30,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver/protectedts/ptstorage"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/roachpb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/security"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/server"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/spanconfig"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog"
@@ -41,6 +45,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/tests"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/serverutils"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/sqlutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/testcluster"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/hlc"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/log"
@@ -803,6 +808,67 @@ func TestErrorsFromSQL(t *testing.T) {
 	}), "failed to read records: boom")
 }
 
+// TestNullTargetColumnResolution is a regression test that ensures that
+// pre-22.1 protected timestamp records that will have a NULL target column are
+// still resolved correctly by the protectedts provider. Previously, this would
+// panic due to an incorrect assumption that the column would be non-nullable.
+func TestNullTargetColumnResolution(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	params, _ := tests.CreateTestServerParams()
+
+	disableUpgradeCh := make(chan struct{})
+	params.Knobs = base.TestingKnobs{
+		Server: &server.TestingKnobs{
+			BinaryVersionOverride: clusterversion.ByKey(
+				clusterversion.AlterSystemProtectedTimestampAddColumn - 1),
+			DisableAutomaticVersionUpgrade: disableUpgradeCh,
+		},
+	}
+
+	tc := testcluster.StartTestCluster(t, 1, base.TestClusterArgs{ServerArgs: params})
+	defer tc.Stopper().Stop(ctx)
+
+	s := tc.Server(0)
+	execCfg := s.ExecutorConfig().(sql.ExecutorConfig)
+	ptp := execCfg.ProtectedTimestampProvider
+	sqlDB := sqlutils.MakeSQLRunner(tc.Conns[0])
+
+	// Write an old style protected timestamp record with a null target column.
+	ts := hlc.Timestamp{WallTime: time.Now().UnixNano()}
+	recordID := uuid.MakeV4()
+	rec := jobsprotectedts.MakeRecord(recordID, int64(1), ts, []roachpb.Span{keys.EverythingSpan},
+		jobsprotectedts.Jobs, nil /* target */)
+	require.NoError(t, execCfg.DB.Txn(ctx, func(ctx context.Context, txn *kv.Txn) error {
+		return ptp.Protect(ctx, txn, rec)
+	}))
+
+	// Close the channel so that the cluster version is upgraded.
+	close(disableUpgradeCh)
+	// Check the cluster version is bumped to newVersion.
+	testutils.SucceedsSoon(t, func() error {
+		var version string
+		sqlDB.QueryRow(t, "SELECT value FROM system.settings WHERE name = 'version'").Scan(&version)
+		var v clusterversion.ClusterVersion
+		if err := protoutil.Unmarshal([]byte(version), &v); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		version = v.String()
+		if version != clusterversion.TestingBinaryVersion.String() {
+			return errors.Errorf("cluster version is still %s, should be %s", version, clusterversion.TestingBinaryVersion.String())
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	// Check the record we wrote above is correctly unmarshalled.
+	require.NoError(t, execCfg.DB.Txn(ctx, func(ctx context.Context, txn *kv.Txn) error {
+		state, err := ptp.GetState(ctx, txn)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		require.Len(t, state.Records, 1)
+		return nil
+	}))
+}
+
 // wrappedInternalExecutor allows errors to be injected in SQL execution.
 type wrappedInternalExecutor struct {
 	wrapped sqlutil.InternalExecutor