diff --git a/addon/-private/system/class-meta.js b/addon/-private/system/class-meta.js
index 383a46d3cee..08827179511 100644
--- a/addon/-private/system/class-meta.js
+++ b/addon/-private/system/class-meta.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import EmptyObject from 'ember-data/-private/system/empty-object';
 
+const NULL_RESOLUTION = new EmptyObject();
+
 export default class ClassMeta {
   constructor(store, modelName) {
     this.modelName = modelName;
@@ -24,10 +26,10 @@ export default class ClassMeta {
 
   get modelClass() {
     if (!this._modelClass) {
-      this._modelClass = this._store.modelFor(this.modelName);
+      this._modelClass = this._store.modelFor(this.modelName) || NULL_RESOLUTION;
     }
 
-    return this._modelClass;
+    return this._modelClass === NULL_RESOLUTION ? null : this._modelClass;
   }
 
   /* deprecated way of accessing modelClass */