diff --git a/webrtc/api/java/jni/jni_helpers.cc b/webrtc/api/java/jni/jni_helpers.cc
index f42abc703e..052dcf9a89 100644
--- a/webrtc/api/java/jni/jni_helpers.cc
+++ b/webrtc/api/java/jni/jni_helpers.cc
@@ -176,7 +176,13 @@ jclass GetObjectClass(JNIEnv* jni, jobject object) {
 jobject GetObjectField(JNIEnv* jni, jobject object, jfieldID id) {
   jobject o = jni->GetObjectField(object, id);
   CHECK_EXCEPTION(jni) << "error during GetObjectField";
-  RTC_CHECK(o) << "GetObjectField returned NULL";
+  RTC_CHECK(!IsNull(jni, o)) << "GetObjectField returned NULL";
+  return o;
+}
+
+jobject GetNullableObjectField(JNIEnv* jni, jobject object, jfieldID id) {
+  jobject o = jni->GetObjectField(object, id);
+  CHECK_EXCEPTION(jni) << "error during GetObjectField";
   return o;
 }
 
diff --git a/webrtc/api/java/jni/jni_helpers.h b/webrtc/api/java/jni/jni_helpers.h
index 98dcc38b53..2832df14b3 100644
--- a/webrtc/api/java/jni/jni_helpers.h
+++ b/webrtc/api/java/jni/jni_helpers.h
@@ -64,8 +64,11 @@ jfieldID GetFieldID(JNIEnv* jni, jclass c, const char* name,
 
 jclass GetObjectClass(JNIEnv* jni, jobject object);
 
+// Throws an exception if the object field is null.
 jobject GetObjectField(JNIEnv* jni, jobject object, jfieldID id);
 
+jobject GetNullableObjectField(JNIEnv* jni, jobject object, jfieldID id);
+
 jstring GetStringField(JNIEnv* jni, jobject object, jfieldID id);
 
 jlong GetLongField(JNIEnv* jni, jobject object, jfieldID id);
diff --git a/webrtc/api/java/jni/peerconnection_jni.cc b/webrtc/api/java/jni/peerconnection_jni.cc
index 2baff04ebe..a250b707e6 100644
--- a/webrtc/api/java/jni/peerconnection_jni.cc
+++ b/webrtc/api/java/jni/peerconnection_jni.cc
@@ -2044,7 +2044,8 @@ static bool JavaEncodingToJsepRtpEncodingParameters(
   for (jobject j_encoding_parameters : Iterable(jni, j_encodings)) {
     webrtc::RtpEncodingParameters encoding;
     encoding.active = GetBooleanField(jni, j_encoding_parameters, active_id);
-    jobject j_bitrate = GetObjectField(jni, j_encoding_parameters, bitrate_id);
+    jobject j_bitrate =
+        GetNullableObjectField(jni, j_encoding_parameters, bitrate_id);
     if (!IsNull(jni, j_bitrate)) {
       int bitrate_value = jni->CallIntMethod(j_bitrate, int_value_id);
       CHECK_EXCEPTION(jni) << "error during CallIntMethod";
diff --git a/webrtc/api/java/src/org/webrtc/RtpParameters.java b/webrtc/api/java/src/org/webrtc/RtpParameters.java
index bd448994e2..d689517c3b 100644
--- a/webrtc/api/java/src/org/webrtc/RtpParameters.java
+++ b/webrtc/api/java/src/org/webrtc/RtpParameters.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.util.LinkedList;
 public class RtpParameters {
   public static class Encoding {
     public boolean active = true;
+    // A null value means "no maximum bitrate".
     public Integer maxBitrateBps;
   }