diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.FileProviders.Physical/src/PollingFileChangeToken.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.FileProviders.Physical/src/PollingFileChangeToken.cs
index f49eacb4cbdb5..6d8f70b47f7d0 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.FileProviders.Physical/src/PollingFileChangeToken.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.FileProviders.Physical/src/PollingFileChangeToken.cs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ private DateTime GetLastWriteTimeUtc()
                 catch (IOException) { } // https://github.com/dotnet/runtime/issues/57221
             }
 
-            return lastWriteTimeUtc.Value;
+            return lastWriteTimeUtc ?? DateTime.MinValue;
         }
 
         /// <summary>