diff --git a/parser/auth/auth.go b/parser/auth/auth.go
index 884f11c2f9d5..e086ebfeb517 100644
--- a/parser/auth/auth.go
+++ b/parser/auth/auth.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ package auth
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/parser/format"
 )
 
@@ -62,6 +63,9 @@ func (user *UserIdentity) String() string {
 // It matches the login user.
 func (user *UserIdentity) LoginString() string {
 	// TODO: Escape username and hostname.
+	if user == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", user.Username, user.Hostname)
 }
 
diff --git a/session/session.go b/session/session.go
index decee805527d..63d6e593f49f 100644
--- a/session/session.go
+++ b/session/session.go
@@ -3295,7 +3295,7 @@ func logGeneralQuery(execStmt *executor.ExecStmt, s *session, isPrepared bool) {
 		}
 		logutil.BgLogger().Info("GENERAL_LOG",
 			zap.Uint64("conn", vars.ConnectionID),
-			zap.Stringer("user", vars.User),
+			zap.String("user", vars.User.LoginString()),
 			zap.Int64("schemaVersion", s.GetInfoSchema().SchemaMetaVersion()),
 			zap.Uint64("txnStartTS", vars.TxnCtx.StartTS),
 			zap.Uint64("forUpdateTS", vars.TxnCtx.GetForUpdateTS()),