diff --git a/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/JsonObjectAttribute.cs b/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/JsonObjectAttribute.cs
index bb3269a5..94d4aa6c 100644
--- a/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/JsonObjectAttribute.cs
+++ b/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/JsonObjectAttribute.cs
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ namespace Newtonsoft.Json
     public sealed class JsonObjectAttribute : JsonContainerAttribute
     {
         private MemberSerialization _memberSerialization = MemberSerialization.OptOut;
-        private NullValueHandling _nullValueHandling = NullValueHandling.Include;
-
+        
         // yuck. can't set nullable properties on an attribute in C#
         // have to use this approach to get an unset default state
         internal Required? _itemRequired;
+        internal NullValueHandling? _nullValueHandling;
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets or sets the member serialization.
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ namespace Newtonsoft.Json
         /// <value>The null value handling.</value>
         public NullValueHandling NullValueHandling
         {
-            get => _nullValueHandling;
+            get => _nullValueHandling ?? default(NullValueHandling);
             set => _nullValueHandling = value;
         }
 
diff --git a/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/Serialization/DefaultContractResolver.cs b/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/Serialization/DefaultContractResolver.cs
index d69aa1cb..4911de64 100644
--- a/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/Serialization/DefaultContractResolver.cs
+++ b/Src/Newtonsoft.Json/Serialization/DefaultContractResolver.cs
@@ -1511,7 +1511,7 @@ namespace Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization
 
             if (property.NullValueHandling == null && containerAttribute is JsonObjectAttribute objectAttribute)
             {
-                property.NullValueHandling = objectAttribute.NullValueHandling;
+                property.NullValueHandling = objectAttribute._nullValueHandling;
             }
 
             if (requiredAttribute != null)