diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/util/internal/JacksonUtils.java b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/util/internal/JacksonUtils.java
index 29593fba092..21df8369022 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/util/internal/JacksonUtils.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/util/internal/JacksonUtils.java
@@ -115,7 +115,11 @@ public static Object toObject(JsonNode jsonNode) {
 
   public static Object toObject(JsonNode jsonNode, Schema schema) {
     if (schema != null && schema.getType().equals(Schema.Type.UNION)) {
-      return toObject(jsonNode, schema.getTypes().get(0));
+      if (schema.getTypes().get(0).getType() != (Schema.Type.NULL)) {
+        return toObject(jsonNode, schema.getTypes().get(0));
+      } else {
+        return toObject(jsonNode, schema.getTypes().get(1));
+      }
     }
     if (jsonNode == null) {
       return null;
diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/util/internal/TestJacksonUtils.java b/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/util/internal/TestJacksonUtils.java
index cd6fe3f74da..d00a4955d47 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/util/internal/TestJacksonUtils.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/util/internal/TestJacksonUtils.java
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ void testToObject() {
     assertEquals(1, toObject(IntNode.valueOf(1)));
     assertEquals(2L, toObject(IntNode.valueOf(2), Schema.create(Schema.Type.LONG)));
     assertEquals(1.0f, toObject(DoubleNode.valueOf(1.0), Schema.create(Schema.Type.FLOAT)));
+    assertEquals(1.1f, toObject(DoubleNode.valueOf(1.1),
+        Schema.createUnion(Schema.create(Schema.Type.NULL), Schema.create(Schema.Type.FLOAT))));
+    assertEquals(1.2f, toObject(DoubleNode.valueOf(1.2),
+        Schema.createUnion(Schema.create(Schema.Type.FLOAT), Schema.create(Schema.Type.NULL))));
     assertEquals(2.0, toObject(DoubleNode.valueOf(2.0)));
     assertEquals(TextNode.valueOf("\u0001\u0002"), toJsonNode(new byte[] { 1, 2 }));
     assertArrayEquals(new byte[] { 1, 2 },
@@ -90,6 +94,15 @@ void testToObject() {
     an.add(1);
     assertEquals(Collections.singletonList(1), toObject(an));
 
+    assertEquals(Collections.singletonList(1), toObject(an, Schema.createUnion(Schema.create(Schema.Type.NULL),
+        Schema.createArray(Schema.createUnion(Schema.create(Schema.Type.NULL), Schema.create(Schema.Type.INT))))));
+
+    assertEquals(Collections.singletonList(1),
+        toObject(an,
+            Schema.createUnion(
+                Schema.createArray(Schema.createUnion(Schema.create(Schema.Type.INT), Schema.create(Schema.Type.NULL))),
+                Schema.create(Schema.Type.NULL))));
+
     ObjectNode on = JsonNodeFactory.instance.objectNode();
     on.put("a", 1);
     assertEquals(Collections.singletonMap("a", 1), toObject(on));