diff --git a/packer/telemetry.go b/packer/telemetry.go
index 9a7f56913..c3d0573ef 100644
--- a/packer/telemetry.go
+++ b/packer/telemetry.go
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ func (c *CheckpointTelemetry) SetTemplateType(t PackerTemplateType) {
 
 // SetBundledUsage marks the template as using bundled plugins
 func (c *CheckpointTelemetry) SetBundledUsage() {
+	if c == nil {
+		return
+	}
 	c.useBundled = true
 }
 
diff --git a/packer/telemetry_test.go b/packer/telemetry_test.go
index ab304a550..7abc600cd 100644
--- a/packer/telemetry_test.go
+++ b/packer/telemetry_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package packer
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -33,3 +34,24 @@ func TestFlattenConfigKeys_nested(t *testing.T) {
 		"Input didn't flatten correctly.",
 	)
 }
+
+func TestCheckpointTelemetry(t *testing.T) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Error("a noop CheckpointTelemetry should not to panic but it did\n", r)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// A null CheckpointTelemetry obtained in Packer when the CHECKPOINT_DISABLE env var is set results in a NOOP reporter
+	// The null reporter can be executable as a configured reporter but does not report any telemetry data.
+	var c *CheckpointTelemetry
+	c.SetTemplateType(HCL2Template)
+	c.SetBundledUsage()
+	c.AddSpan("mockprovisioner", "provisioner", nil)
+	if err := c.ReportPanic("Bogus Panic"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("calling ReportPanic on a nil checkpoint reporter should not error")
+	}
+	if err := c.Finalize("test", 1, errors.New("Bogus Error")); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("calling Finalize on a nil checkpoint reporter should not error")
+	}
+}