diff --git a/protobuf/src/main/java/io/grpc/protobuf/StatusProto.java b/protobuf/src/main/java/io/grpc/protobuf/StatusProto.java
index 798c039420..f54e75bb49 100644
--- a/protobuf/src/main/java/io/grpc/protobuf/StatusProto.java
+++ b/protobuf/src/main/java/io/grpc/protobuf/StatusProto.java
@@ -160,10 +160,12 @@ public final class StatusProto {
   private static com.google.rpc.Status toStatusProto(Status status, Metadata trailers) {
     if (trailers != null) {
       com.google.rpc.Status statusProto = trailers.get(STATUS_DETAILS_KEY);
-      checkArgument(
-          status.getCode().value() == statusProto.getCode(),
-          "com.google.rpc.Status code must match gRPC status code");
-      return statusProto;
+      if (statusProto != null) {
+        checkArgument(
+            status.getCode().value() == statusProto.getCode(),
+            "com.google.rpc.Status code must match gRPC status code");
+        return statusProto;
+      }
     }
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/protobuf/src/test/java/io/grpc/protobuf/StatusProtoTest.java b/protobuf/src/test/java/io/grpc/protobuf/StatusProtoTest.java
index 8a085cbc56..505bd1cf80 100644
--- a/protobuf/src/test/java/io/grpc/protobuf/StatusProtoTest.java
+++ b/protobuf/src/test/java/io/grpc/protobuf/StatusProtoTest.java
@@ -148,6 +148,15 @@ public class StatusProtoTest {
     assertNull(StatusProto.fromThrowable(status.asException()));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void fromThrowable_shouldReturnNullIfStatusDetailsKeyIsMissing() {
+    Status status = Status.fromCodeValue(0);
+    Metadata emptyMetadata = new Metadata();
+
+    assertNull(StatusProto.fromThrowable(status.asRuntimeException(emptyMetadata)));
+    assertNull(StatusProto.fromThrowable(status.asException(emptyMetadata)));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void fromThrowableWithNestedStatusRuntimeException() {
     StatusRuntimeException sre = StatusProto.toStatusRuntimeException(STATUS_PROTO);