diff --git a/java/google/registry/flows/domain/BaseDomainCreateFlow.java b/java/google/registry/flows/domain/BaseDomainCreateFlow.java
index 8d2175a1b..7a815c235 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/flows/domain/BaseDomainCreateFlow.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/flows/domain/BaseDomainCreateFlow.java
@@ -201,8 +201,7 @@ public abstract class BaseDomainCreateFlow<R extends DomainBase, B extends Build
     isAnchorTenantViaReservation = matchesAnchorTenantReservation(
         domainLabel, tld, command.getAuthInfo().getPw().getValue());
     boolean isLrpApplication =
-        registry.getLrpPeriod() != null
-            && registry.getLrpPeriod().contains(now)
+        registry.getLrpPeriod().contains(now)
             && !command.getAuthInfo().getPw().getValue().isEmpty()
             && !isAnchorTenantViaReservation;
     lrpToken = isLrpApplication
diff --git a/java/google/registry/model/registry/Registry.java b/java/google/registry/model/registry/Registry.java
index 56fc92866..52f1bb088 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/model/registry/Registry.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/model/registry/Registry.java
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ public class Registry extends ImmutableObject implements Buildable {
   @Nullable
   public Interval getLrpPeriod() {
     return (lrpPeriodStart == null && lrpPeriodEnd == null)
-        ? null
+        ? new Interval(START_OF_TIME, Duration.ZERO)
         : new Interval(lrpPeriodStart, lrpPeriodEnd);
   }
 
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/tools/UpdateTldCommandTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/tools/UpdateTldCommandTest.java
index 1b132f425..e16e39ac0 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/tools/UpdateTldCommandTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/tools/UpdateTldCommandTest.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
 import java.io.PrintStream;
 import org.joda.money.Money;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.joda.time.Duration;
 import org.joda.time.Interval;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -414,7 +415,8 @@ public class UpdateTldCommandTest extends CommandTestCase<UpdateTldCommand> {
                 DateTime.parse("2004-06-09T12:30:00Z"), DateTime.parse("2004-07-10T13:30:00Z")))
             .build());
     runCommandForced("--lrp_period=null", "xn--q9jyb4c");
-    assertThat(Registry.get("xn--q9jyb4c").getLrpPeriod()).isNull();
+    assertThat(Registry.get("xn--q9jyb4c").getLrpPeriod())
+        .isEqualTo(new Interval(START_OF_TIME, Duration.ZERO));
   }
 
   @Test