diff --git a/libs/dyn/visit.go b/libs/dyn/visit.go
index 3fe3561943..4d3cf50142 100644
--- a/libs/dyn/visit.go
+++ b/libs/dyn/visit.go
@@ -6,6 +6,28 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 )
 
+// This error is returned if the path indicates that a map or sequence is expected, but the value is nil.
+type cannotTraverseNilError struct {
+	p Path
+}
+
+func (e cannotTraverseNilError) Error() string {
+	component := e.p[len(e.p)-1]
+	switch {
+	case component.isKey():
+		return fmt.Sprintf("expected a map to index %q, found nil", e.p)
+	case component.isIndex():
+		return fmt.Sprintf("expected a sequence to index %q, found nil", e.p)
+	default:
+		panic("invalid component")
+	}
+}
+
+func IsCannotTraverseNilError(err error) bool {
+	var target cannotTraverseNilError
+	return errors.As(err, &target)
+}
+
 type noSuchKeyError struct {
 	p Path
 }
@@ -70,11 +92,17 @@ func (component pathComponent) visit(v Value, prefix Path, suffix Pattern, opts
 	switch {
 	case component.isKey():
 		// Expect a map to be set if this is a key.
-		m, ok := v.AsMap()
-		if !ok {
+		switch v.Kind() {
+		case KindMap:
+			// OK
+		case KindNil:
+			return InvalidValue, cannotTraverseNilError{path}
+		default:
 			return InvalidValue, fmt.Errorf("expected a map to index %q, found %s", path, v.Kind())
 		}
 
+		m := v.MustMap()
+
 		// Lookup current value in the map.
 		ev, ok := m.GetByString(component.key)
 		if !ok {
@@ -103,11 +131,17 @@ func (component pathComponent) visit(v Value, prefix Path, suffix Pattern, opts
 
 	case component.isIndex():
 		// Expect a sequence to be set if this is an index.
-		s, ok := v.AsSequence()
-		if !ok {
+		switch v.Kind() {
+		case KindSequence:
+			// OK
+		case KindNil:
+			return InvalidValue, cannotTraverseNilError{path}
+		default:
 			return InvalidValue, fmt.Errorf("expected a sequence to index %q, found %s", path, v.Kind())
 		}
 
+		s := v.MustSequence()
+
 		// Lookup current value in the sequence.
 		if component.index < 0 || component.index >= len(s) {
 			return InvalidValue, indexOutOfBoundsError{path}
diff --git a/libs/dyn/visit_map.go b/libs/dyn/visit_map.go
index f5cfea3114..56a9cf9f3c 100644
--- a/libs/dyn/visit_map.go
+++ b/libs/dyn/visit_map.go
@@ -10,9 +10,12 @@ type MapFunc func(Path, Value) (Value, error)
 
 // Foreach returns a [MapFunc] that applies the specified [MapFunc] to each
 // value in a map or sequence and returns the new map or sequence.
+// If the input is nil, it returns nil.
 func Foreach(fn MapFunc) MapFunc {
 	return func(p Path, v Value) (Value, error) {
 		switch v.Kind() {
+		case KindNil:
+			return v, nil
 		case KindMap:
 			m := v.MustMap().Clone()
 			for _, pair := range m.Pairs() {
@@ -75,8 +78,10 @@ func MapByPattern(v Value, p Pattern, fn MapFunc) (Value, error) {
 		return nv, nil
 	}
 
-	// Return original value if a key or index is missing.
-	if IsNoSuchKeyError(err) || IsIndexOutOfBoundsError(err) {
+	// Return original value if:
+	// - any map or sequence is a nil, or
+	// - a key or index is missing
+	if IsCannotTraverseNilError(err) || IsNoSuchKeyError(err) || IsIndexOutOfBoundsError(err) {
 		return v, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/libs/dyn/visit_map_test.go b/libs/dyn/visit_map_test.go
index df6bad4965..2cea0913be 100644
--- a/libs/dyn/visit_map_test.go
+++ b/libs/dyn/visit_map_test.go
@@ -20,11 +20,14 @@ func TestMapWithEmptyPath(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestMapOnNilValue(t *testing.T) {
+	var nv dyn.Value
 	var err error
-	_, err = dyn.MapByPath(dyn.NilValue, dyn.NewPath(dyn.Key("foo")), nil)
-	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, `expected a map to index "foo", found nil`)
-	_, err = dyn.MapByPath(dyn.NilValue, dyn.NewPath(dyn.Index(42)), nil)
-	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, `expected a sequence to index "[42]", found nil`)
+	nv, err = dyn.MapByPath(dyn.NilValue, dyn.NewPath(dyn.Key("foo")), nil)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, dyn.NilValue, nv)
+	nv, err = dyn.MapByPath(dyn.NilValue, dyn.NewPath(dyn.Index(42)), nil)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, dyn.NilValue, nv)
 }
 
 func TestMapFuncOnMap(t *testing.T) {
@@ -269,6 +272,17 @@ func TestMapForeachOnOtherError(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "expected a map or sequence, found int")
 }
 
+func TestMapForeachOnNil(t *testing.T) {
+	vin := dyn.NilValue
+
+	// Check that if foreach is applied to nil, it returns nil.
+	vout, err := dyn.Map(vin, ".", dyn.Foreach(func(_ dyn.Path, v dyn.Value) (dyn.Value, error) {
+		return dyn.InvalidValue, nil
+	}))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, dyn.NilValue, vout)
+}
+
 func TestMapByPatternOnNilValue(t *testing.T) {
 	var err error
 	_, err = dyn.MapByPattern(dyn.NilValue, dyn.NewPattern(dyn.AnyKey()), nil)