diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/join.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/join.rs
index 7f3bbae238..1dea038347 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/join.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/join.rs
@@ -255,6 +255,16 @@ fn join_rows(
     config: &Config,
     span: Span,
 ) {
+    if !this
+        .iter()
+        .any(|this_record| match this_record.as_record() {
+            Ok(record) => record.contains(this_join_key),
+            Err(_) => false,
+        })
+    {
+        // `this` table does not contain the join column; do nothing
+        return;
+    }
     for this_row in this {
         if let Value::Record {
             val: this_record, ..
@@ -281,39 +291,40 @@ fn join_rows(
                             result.push(Value::record(record, span))
                         }
                     }
-                } else if !matches!(join_type, JoinType::Inner) {
-                    // `other` table did not contain any rows matching
-                    // `this` row on the join column; emit a single joined
-                    // row with null values for columns not present,
-                    let other_record = other_keys
-                        .iter()
-                        .map(|&key| {
-                            let val = if Some(key.as_ref()) == shared_join_key {
-                                this_record
-                                    .get(key)
-                                    .cloned()
-                                    .unwrap_or_else(|| Value::nothing(span))
-                            } else {
-                                Value::nothing(span)
-                            };
-
-                            (key.clone(), val)
-                        })
-                        .collect();
-
-                    let record = match join_type {
-                        JoinType::Inner | JoinType::Right => {
-                            merge_records(&other_record, this_record, shared_join_key)
-                        }
-                        JoinType::Left => {
-                            merge_records(this_record, &other_record, shared_join_key)
-                        }
-                        _ => panic!("not implemented"),
-                    };
-
-                    result.push(Value::record(record, span))
+                    continue;
                 }
-            } // else { a row is missing a value for the join column }
+            }
+            if !matches!(join_type, JoinType::Inner) {
+                // Either `this` row is missing a value for the join column or
+                // `other` table did not contain any rows matching
+                // `this` row on the join column; emit a single joined
+                // row with null values for columns not present
+                let other_record = other_keys
+                    .iter()
+                    .map(|&key| {
+                        let val = if Some(key.as_ref()) == shared_join_key {
+                            this_record
+                                .get(key)
+                                .cloned()
+                                .unwrap_or_else(|| Value::nothing(span))
+                        } else {
+                            Value::nothing(span)
+                        };
+
+                        (key.clone(), val)
+                    })
+                    .collect();
+
+                let record = match join_type {
+                    JoinType::Inner | JoinType::Right => {
+                        merge_records(&other_record, this_record, shared_join_key)
+                    }
+                    JoinType::Left => merge_records(this_record, &other_record, shared_join_key),
+                    _ => panic!("not implemented"),
+                };
+
+                result.push(Value::record(record, span))
+            }
         };
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/join.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/join.rs
index a3c2bad11e..4483debce7 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/join.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/join.rs
@@ -195,6 +195,52 @@ fn do_cases_where_result_differs_between_join_types(join_type: &str) {
                 ),
             ],
         ),
+        (
+            // a row in the left table does not have the join column
+            (
+                "[{a: 1 ref: 1} {a: 2 ref: 2} {a: 3}]",
+                "[{ref: 1 b: 1} {ref: 2 b: 2} {ref: 3 b: 3}]",
+                "ref",
+            ),
+            [
+                ("--inner", "[[a, ref, b]; [1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2]]"),
+                (
+                    "--left",
+                    "[[a, ref, b]; [1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2], [3, null, null]]",
+                ),
+                (
+                    "--right",
+                    "[[a, ref, b]; [1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2], [null, 3, 3]]",
+                ),
+                (
+                    "--outer",
+                    "[[a, ref, b]; [1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2], [3, null, null], [null, 3, 3]]",
+                ),
+            ],
+        ),
+        (
+            // a row in the right table does not have the join column
+            (
+                "[{a: 1 ref: 1} {a: 2 ref: 2} {a: 3 ref: 3}]",
+                "[{ref: 1 b: 1} {ref: 2 b: 2} {b: 3}]",
+                "ref",
+            ),
+            [
+                ("--inner", "[[a, ref, b]; [1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2]]"),
+                (
+                    "--left",
+                    "[[a, ref, b]; [1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2], [3, 3, null]]",
+                ),
+                (
+                    "--right",
+                    "[[a, ref, b]; [1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2], [null, null, 3]]",
+                ),
+                (
+                    "--outer",
+                    "[[a, ref, b]; [1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2], [3, 3, null], [null, null, 3]]",
+                ),
+            ],
+        ),
     ] {
         for (join_type_, expected) in join_types {
             if join_type_ == join_type {