diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Validation/Concerns/ValidatesAttributes.php b/src/Illuminate/Validation/Concerns/ValidatesAttributes.php
index 394978f1d9d6..37436384c8e0 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Validation/Concerns/ValidatesAttributes.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Validation/Concerns/ValidatesAttributes.php
@@ -265,9 +265,11 @@ protected function checkDateTimeOrder($format, $first, $second, $operator)
         $firstDate = $this->getDateTimeWithOptionalFormat($format, $first);
 
         if (! $secondDate = $this->getDateTimeWithOptionalFormat($format, $second)) {
-            $second = $this->getValue($second);
+            if (is_null($second = $this->getValue($second))) {
+                return true;
+            }
 
-            $secondDate = is_null($second) ? null : $this->getDateTimeWithOptionalFormat($format, $second);
+            $secondDate = $this->getDateTimeWithOptionalFormat($format, $second);
         }
 
         return ($firstDate && $secondDate) && ($this->compare($firstDate, $secondDate, $operator));
diff --git a/tests/Validation/ValidationValidatorTest.php b/tests/Validation/ValidationValidatorTest.php
index 04d2369f44d1..f9245bdb0049 100755
--- a/tests/Validation/ValidationValidatorTest.php
+++ b/tests/Validation/ValidationValidatorTest.php
@@ -4173,6 +4173,9 @@ public function testBeforeAndAfterWithFormat()
         $v = new Validator($trans, ['start' => '31/12/2012', 'ends' => null], ['start' => 'date_format:d/m/Y|before:ends', 'ends' => 'date_format:d/m/Y|after:start']);
         $this->assertTrue($v->fails());
 
+        $v = new Validator($trans, ['start' => '31/12/2012', 'ends' => null], ['start' => 'date_format:d/m/Y|before:ends', 'ends' => 'nullable|date_format:d/m/Y|after:start']);
+        $this->assertTrue($v->passes());
+
         $v = new Validator($trans, ['x' => date('d/m/Y')], ['x' => 'date_format:d/m/Y|after:yesterday|before:tomorrow']);
         $this->assertTrue($v->passes());