diff --git a/src/net/http/header.go b/src/net/http/header.go
index b9b53911f3844..221f613f64295 100644
--- a/src/net/http/header.go
+++ b/src/net/http/header.go
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ func (h Header) Clone() Header {
 	sv := make([]string, nv) // shared backing array for headers' values
 	h2 := make(Header, len(h))
 	for k, vv := range h {
+		if vv == nil {
+			// Preserve nil values. ReverseProxy distinguishes
+			// between nil and zero-length header values.
+			h2[k] = nil
+			continue
+		}
 		n := copy(sv, vv)
 		h2[k] = sv[:n:n]
 		sv = sv[n:]
diff --git a/src/net/http/header_test.go b/src/net/http/header_test.go
index 47893629194b6..80c003551db86 100644
--- a/src/net/http/header_test.go
+++ b/src/net/http/header_test.go
@@ -235,6 +235,11 @@ func TestCloneOrMakeHeader(t *testing.T) {
 			in:   Header{"foo": {"bar"}},
 			want: Header{"foo": {"bar"}},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "nil value",
+			in:   Header{"foo": nil},
+			want: Header{"foo": nil},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {