diff --git a/src/QAST/Block.nqp b/src/QAST/Block.nqp
index 8b6c45dfa8..9a69dabc06 100644
--- a/src/QAST/Block.nqp
+++ b/src/QAST/Block.nqp
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ class QAST::Block is QAST::Node {
     }
 
     method symbol($name, *%attrs) {
-        %!symbol{$name} := %!symbol{$name} // {};
-        for %attrs {
-            %!symbol{$name}{$_.key} := $_.value;
+        if %attrs {
+            %!symbol{$name} := %!symbol{$name} // {};
+            for %attrs {
+                %!symbol{$name}{$_.key} := $_.value;
+            }
         }
         %!symbol{$name}
     }
diff --git a/t/qast/qast.t b/t/qast/qast.t
index cc9ad5d924..fb2080629c 100644
--- a/t/qast/qast.t
+++ b/t/qast/qast.t
@@ -741,3 +741,9 @@ is_qast(
     my %hash := $block.symbol('slug');
     ok(%hash<food> eq 'cheeseburger', 'QAST::Block.symbol existing attributes don\'t disappear');
 }
+
+{
+    my $block := QAST::Block.new();
+    my $missing := $block.symbol('sabre-toothed tiger');
+    ok(!pir::defined($missing), 'QAST::Block.symbol on a nonexistent key returns an undefined value');
+}