diff --git a/runtime/vm/dart_api_impl.cc b/runtime/vm/dart_api_impl.cc
index 93d3cfa1128..80029dcb206 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/dart_api_impl.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/dart_api_impl.cc
@@ -952,9 +952,9 @@ DART_EXPORT Dart_Result Dart_InvokeDynamic(Dart_Handle object,
   HandleScope scope;  // Setup a VM handle scope.
   const Object& obj = Object::Handle(Api::UnwrapHandle(object));
   if (obj.IsNull()) {
-    RETURN_FAILURE("Null receiver passed in to invoke dynamic");
-  }
-  if (!obj.IsInstance()) {
+    // Let the resolver figure out the correct target.
+    // E.g., (null).toString() should execute correctly.
+  } else if (!obj.IsInstance()) {
     RETURN_FAILURE("Invalid receiver (not instance) passed to invoke dynamic");
   }
   if (function_name == NULL) {
@@ -972,7 +972,8 @@ DART_EXPORT Dart_Result Dart_InvokeDynamic(Dart_Handle object,
                                (number_of_arguments + 1),
                                0));  // Named args not yet supported in API.
   if (function.IsNull()) {
-    OS::PrintErr("Unable to find instance function: %s\n", function_name);
+    // TODO(5415268): Invoke noSuchMethod instead of failing.
+    OS::PrintErr("Unable to find instance function: %s\n", name.ToCString());
     RETURN_FAILURE("Unable to find instance function");
   }
   Dart_Result retval;
diff --git a/runtime/vm/dart_api_impl_test.cc b/runtime/vm/dart_api_impl_test.cc
index ab6c950e7e1..929c4652179 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/dart_api_impl_test.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/dart_api_impl_test.cc
@@ -1363,6 +1363,41 @@ UNIT_TEST_CASE(InstanceOf) {
   Dart_ShutdownIsolate();
 }
 
+
+UNIT_TEST_CASE(NullReceiver) {
+  Dart_CreateIsolate(NULL, NULL);
+  Dart_EnterScope();  // Enter a Dart API scope for the unit test.
+  {
+    Zone zone;
+    HandleScope hs;
+
+    Dart_Handle function_name = Dart_NewString("toString");
+    const int number_of_arguments = 0;
+    Dart_Handle null_receiver = Api::NewLocalHandle(Object::Handle());
+    Dart_Handle dart_arguments[0];
+    Dart_Result result = Dart_InvokeDynamic(null_receiver,
+                                            function_name,
+                                            number_of_arguments,
+                                            dart_arguments);
+    EXPECT(Dart_IsValidResult(result));
+    Dart_Handle retobj = Dart_GetResult(result);
+    EXPECT(Dart_IsString(retobj));
+
+    // Should throw a NullPointerException. Disabled due to bug 5415268.
+    /*
+    Dart_Handle function_name2 = Dart_NewString("NoNoNo");
+    result = Dart_InvokeDynamic(null_receiver,
+                                function_name2,
+                                number_of_arguments,
+                                dart_arguments);
+    EXPECT(Dart_IsValidResult(result));
+    retobj = Dart_GetResult(result);
+    EXPECT(Dart_ExceptionOccurred(retobj)); */
+  }
+  Dart_ExitScope();  // Exit the Dart API scope.
+  Dart_ShutdownIsolate();
+}
+
 #endif  // TARGET_ARCH_IA32.
 
 }  // namespace dart