diff --git a/spanner/value.go b/spanner/value.go
index 336850c3dd02..660e76e5c6d3 100644
--- a/spanner/value.go
+++ b/spanner/value.go
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ func decodeValue(v *proto3.Value, t *sppb.Type, ptr interface{}) error {
 		}
 		err := parseNullTime(v, &nt, code, isNull)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil
+			return err
 		}
 		*p = nt.Time
 	case *NullTime:
diff --git a/spanner/value_test.go b/spanner/value_test.go
index 34207eded19a..b40f683fd68b 100644
--- a/spanner/value_test.go
+++ b/spanner/value_test.go
@@ -773,6 +773,7 @@ func TestDecodeValue(t *testing.T) {
 		{timeProto(t1), timeType(), t1, false},
 		{timeProto(t1), timeType(), NullTime{t1, true}, false},
 		{nullProto(), timeType(), NullTime{}, false},
+		{intProto(7), timeType(), time.Time{}, true},
 		// TIMESTAMP ARRAY with []NullTime
 		{listProto(timeProto(t1), timeProto(t2), timeProto(t3), nullProto()), listType(timeType()), []NullTime{{t1, true}, {t2, true}, {t3, true}, {}}, false},
 		{nullProto(), listType(timeType()), []NullTime(nil), false},