diff --git a/include/evmc/helpers.h b/include/evmc/helpers.h
index 9273e2b..e43cfd7 100644
--- a/include/evmc/helpers.h
+++ b/include/evmc/helpers.h
@@ -109,11 +109,14 @@ static inline struct evmc_result evmc_execute(struct evmc_instance* instance,
 /**
  * Releases the resources allocated to the execution result.
  *
- * @see evmc_release_result_fn
+ * @param result  The result object to be released. MUST NOT be NULL.
+ *
+ * @see evmc_result::release() evmc_release_result_fn
  */
 static inline void evmc_release_result(struct evmc_result* result)
 {
-    result->release(result);
+    if (result->release)
+        result->release(result);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/test/unittests/test_helpers.cpp b/test/unittests/test_helpers.cpp
index 82d8195..504025a 100644
--- a/test/unittests/test_helpers.cpp
+++ b/test/unittests/test_helpers.cpp
@@ -61,3 +61,19 @@ TEST(helpers, is_zero)
     b.bytes[0] = 1;
     EXPECT_FALSE(is_zero(b));
 }
+
+TEST(helpers, release_result)
+{
+    auto r1 = evmc_result{};
+    evmc_release_result(&r1);
+
+    static evmc_result r2;
+    static bool e;
+
+    e = false;
+    r2 = evmc_result{};
+    r2.release = [](const evmc_result* r) { e = r == &r2; };
+    EXPECT_FALSE(e);
+    evmc_release_result(&r2);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(e);
+}