diff --git a/be/src/exprs/function/cast/function_cast.cpp b/be/src/exprs/function/cast/function_cast.cpp
index e048f57b91e70f..c78f293a614227 100644
--- a/be/src/exprs/function/cast/function_cast.cpp
+++ b/be/src/exprs/function/cast/function_cast.cpp
@@ -386,8 +386,9 @@ class FunctionBuilderCast : public FunctionBuilderImpl {
     }
 
     bool skip_return_type_check() const override { return true; }
-    DataTypePtr get_return_type_impl(const ColumnsWithTypeAndName& arguments) const override {
-        return nullptr;
+    DataTypePtr get_return_type_impl(const ColumnsWithTypeAndName& /*arguments*/) const override {
+        throw doris::Exception(ErrorCode::NOT_IMPLEMENTED_ERROR,
+                               "get_return_type is not implemented for {}", get_name());
     }
 
     bool use_default_implementation_for_nulls() const override { return false; }
diff --git a/be/src/exprs/function/function.cpp b/be/src/exprs/function/function.cpp
index 590eb63829200d..8c79edfe594433 100644
--- a/be/src/exprs/function/function.cpp
+++ b/be/src/exprs/function/function.cpp
@@ -280,7 +280,10 @@ DataTypePtr FunctionBuilderImpl::get_return_type(const ColumnsWithTypeAndName& a
             auto return_type = get_return_type_impl(
                     ColumnsWithTypeAndName(nested_block.begin(), nested_block.end()));
             if (!return_type) {
-                return nullptr;
+                throw Exception(ErrorCode::INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                                "function return type is nullptr, function_name={}, "
+                                "input_arguments={}",
+                                get_name(), get_types_string(arguments));
             }
             return make_nullable(return_type);
         }
diff --git a/be/src/exprs/function/function.h b/be/src/exprs/function/function.h
index 9e0aebdabaf032..8bbeeddf40fd44 100644
--- a/be/src/exprs/function/function.h
+++ b/be/src/exprs/function/function.h
@@ -343,7 +343,6 @@ class FunctionBuilderImpl : public IFunctionBuilder {
     virtual DataTypePtr get_return_type_impl(const DataTypes& /*arguments*/) const {
         throw doris::Exception(ErrorCode::NOT_IMPLEMENTED_ERROR,
                                "get_return_type is not implemented for {}", get_name());
-        return nullptr;
     }
 
     /** If use_default_implementation_for_nulls() is true, than change arguments for get_return_type() and build_impl():
diff --git a/be/src/exprs/function/function_struct_element.cpp b/be/src/exprs/function/function_struct_element.cpp
index 770698259ee1be..5026c10ed1396b 100644
--- a/be/src/exprs/function/function_struct_element.cpp
+++ b/be/src/exprs/function/function_struct_element.cpp
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ class FunctionStructElement : public IFunction {
         size_t index;
         auto st = get_element_index(*struct_type, index_column, index_type, &index);
         if (!st.ok()) {
-            // will handle nullptr outside
-            return nullptr;
+            throw doris::Exception(st);
         }
         // The struct_element is marked as AlwaysNullable in fe.
         return make_nullable(struct_type->get_elements()[index]);
diff --git a/be/test/exprs/function/function_struct_element_test.cpp b/be/test/exprs/function/function_struct_element_test.cpp
index 0f98955e85f70d..a2cce4770a7aeb 100644
--- a/be/test/exprs/function/function_struct_element_test.cpp
+++ b/be/test/exprs/function/function_struct_element_test.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,25 @@ TEST(FunctionStructElementTest, test_return_type) {
     std::cout << "Return type: " << return_type->get_name() << std::endl;
 }
 
+TEST(FunctionStructElementTest, test_return_type_invalid_field) {
+    auto index_type = std::make_shared<DataTypeString>();
+    auto index_column = ColumnHelper::create_column<DataTypeString>({"key4"});
+
+    DataTypes struct_types = {std::make_shared<DataTypeString>(), std::make_shared<DataTypeInt32>(),
+                              std::make_shared<DataTypeFloat64>()};
+    Strings names = {"key1", "key2", "key3"};
+    auto type_struct = std::make_shared<DataTypeStruct>(struct_types, names);
+
+    auto argument_template = ColumnsWithTypeAndName {{nullptr, type_struct, "struct"},
+                                                     {index_column, index_type, "index"}};
+
+    EXPECT_THROW(SimpleFunctionFactory::instance().get_function(
+                         "struct_element", argument_template,
+                         std::make_shared<DataTypeNullable>(std::make_shared<DataTypeInt32>()),
+                         {true}, BeExecVersionManager::get_newest_version()),
+                 doris::Exception);
+}
+
 TEST(FunctionStructElementTest, test_return_column) {
     auto index_type = std::make_shared<DataTypeString>();
 
@@ -114,4 +133,4 @@ TEST(FunctionStructElementTest, test_return_column) {
     EXPECT_TRUE(block.get_by_position(2).column->is_nullable());
 }
 
-} // namespace doris
\ No newline at end of file
+} // namespace doris
diff --git a/be/test/exprs/function/simple_function_factory_test.cpp b/be/test/exprs/function/simple_function_factory_test.cpp
index 86f344a3f03db7..553c89eff5f763 100644
--- a/be/test/exprs/function/simple_function_factory_test.cpp
+++ b/be/test/exprs/function/simple_function_factory_test.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ class FunctionBeTestMock : public IFunction {
 
     size_t get_number_of_arguments() const override { return 0; }
 
-    DataTypePtr get_return_type_impl(const DataTypes& arguments) const override { return nullptr; }
+    DataTypePtr get_return_type_impl(const DataTypes& /*arguments*/) const override {
+        throw doris::Exception(ErrorCode::INTERNAL_ERROR, "BEUT TEST: nullptr return type");
+    }
 
     Status execute_impl(FunctionContext* context, Block& block, const ColumnNumbers& arguments,
                         uint32_t result, size_t input_rows_count) const override {
@@ -95,4 +97,4 @@ TEST_F(SimpleFunctionFactoryTest, test_return_all) {
     }
 }
 
-} // namespace doris
\ No newline at end of file
+} // namespace doris