diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Internal/CallSafeHandle.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Internal/CallSafeHandle.cs
index 6208f45a00a..cfcab5dc692 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Internal/CallSafeHandle.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Internal/CallSafeHandle.cs
@@ -132,6 +132,12 @@ namespace Grpc.Core.Internal
             SliceBufferSafeHandle optionalPayload, WriteFlags writeFlags)
         {
             // TODO: optionalPayload == null -> pass null SliceBufferSafeHandle
+            // do this properly
+            if (optionalPayload == null)
+            {
+                optionalPayload = SliceBufferSafeHandle.NullInstance;
+            }
+            
             using (completionQueue.NewScope())
             {
                 var ctx = completionQueue.CompletionRegistry.RegisterBatchCompletion(CompletionHandler_ISendStatusFromServerCompletionCallback, callback);
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Internal/SliceBufferSafeHandle.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Internal/SliceBufferSafeHandle.cs
index 5b540c69d44..5ea4432684c 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Internal/SliceBufferSafeHandle.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Internal/SliceBufferSafeHandle.cs
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ namespace Grpc.Core.Internal
         static readonly NativeMethods Native = NativeMethods.Get();
         static readonly ILogger Logger = GrpcEnvironment.Logger.ForType<SliceBufferSafeHandle>();
 
+        public static readonly SliceBufferSafeHandle NullInstance = new SliceBufferSafeHandle();
+
         private IntPtr tailSpacePtr;
         private UIntPtr tailSpaceLen;