diff --git a/implementation/src/main/java/io/smallrye/mutiny/operators/multi/MultiConcatMapOp.java b/implementation/src/main/java/io/smallrye/mutiny/operators/multi/MultiConcatMapOp.java
index 5371de464..3676246cb 100644
--- a/implementation/src/main/java/io/smallrye/mutiny/operators/multi/MultiConcatMapOp.java
+++ b/implementation/src/main/java/io/smallrye/mutiny/operators/multi/MultiConcatMapOp.java
@@ -100,6 +100,16 @@ public void onSubscribe(Flow.Subscription subscription) {
             }
         }
 
+        private void innerOnSubscribe(Flow.Subscription subscription) {
+            stateLock.lock();
+            innerUpstream = subscription;
+            long n = demand;
+            stateLock.unlock();
+            if (n > 0L) {
+                subscription.request(n);
+            }
+        }
+
         @Override
         public void onItem(I item) {
             if (STATE_UPDATER.compareAndSet(this, State.PUBLISHER_REQUESTED, State.EMITTING)) {
@@ -247,7 +257,9 @@ public void request(long n) {
                     case EMITTING:
                     case EMITTING_FINAL:
                         stateLock.unlock();
-                        innerUpstream.request(n);
+                        if (innerUpstream != null) {
+                            innerUpstream.request(n);
+                        }
                         break;
                     case READY:
                         state = State.PUBLISHER_REQUESTED;
@@ -282,16 +294,7 @@ private class InnerSubscriber implements MultiSubscriber<O>, ContextSupport {
 
             @Override
             public void onSubscribe(Flow.Subscription subscription) {
-                stateLock.lock();
-                innerUpstream = subscription;
-                try {
-                    long n = demand;
-                    if (n > 0L) {
-                        subscription.request(n);
-                    }
-                } finally {
-                    stateLock.unlock();
-                }
+                innerOnSubscribe(subscription);
             }
 
             @Override
diff --git a/implementation/src/test/java/io/smallrye/mutiny/operators/multi/MultiConcatMapNoPrefetchTest.java b/implementation/src/test/java/io/smallrye/mutiny/operators/multi/MultiConcatMapNoPrefetchTest.java
index d4b75c92a..727cc1054 100644
--- a/implementation/src/test/java/io/smallrye/mutiny/operators/multi/MultiConcatMapNoPrefetchTest.java
+++ b/implementation/src/test/java/io/smallrye/mutiny/operators/multi/MultiConcatMapNoPrefetchTest.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.RepeatedTest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments;
@@ -348,4 +349,16 @@ void simpleConcatMap() {
         sub.assertItems(10, 20, 20, 40);
         sub.assertCompleted();
     }
+
+    @RepeatedTest(1000)
+    void earlyRequestWithNullInner() {
+        var sub = Multi.createFrom().items(1, 2, 3)
+                .emitOn(Infrastructure.getDefaultExecutor())
+                .onItem().call(i -> Uni.createFrom().item(i))
+                .subscribe().withSubscriber(AssertSubscriber.create());
+
+        sub.request(1);
+        sub.awaitNextItems(1, Duration.ofSeconds(1));
+        sub.cancel();
+    }
 }