diff --git a/spring-session-data-redis/src/integration-test/java/org/springframework/session/data/redis/RedisIndexedSessionRepositoryITests.java b/spring-session-data-redis/src/integration-test/java/org/springframework/session/data/redis/RedisIndexedSessionRepositoryITests.java
index e1665aee..08745fab 100644
--- a/spring-session-data-redis/src/integration-test/java/org/springframework/session/data/redis/RedisIndexedSessionRepositoryITests.java
+++ b/spring-session-data-redis/src/integration-test/java/org/springframework/session/data/redis/RedisIndexedSessionRepositoryITests.java
@@ -527,6 +527,30 @@ class RedisIndexedSessionRepositoryITests extends AbstractRedisITests {
 		assertThat(findByPrincipalName.keySet()).containsOnly(changeSessionId);
 	}
 
+	@Test // gh-1987
+	void changeSessionIdWhenPrincipalNameChangesFromNullThenIndexShouldNotBeCreated() {
+		String principalName = null;
+		String principalNameChanged = "findByChangedPrincipalName" + UUID.randomUUID();
+		RedisSession toSave = this.repository.createSession();
+		toSave.setAttribute(INDEX_NAME, principalName);
+
+		this.repository.save(toSave);
+
+		RedisSession findById = this.repository.findById(toSave.getId());
+		String changeSessionId = findById.changeSessionId();
+		findById.setAttribute(INDEX_NAME, principalNameChanged);
+		this.repository.save(findById);
+
+		Map<String, RedisSession> findByPrincipalName = this.repository.findByIndexNameAndIndexValue(INDEX_NAME,
+				principalName);
+		assertThat(findByPrincipalName).isEmpty();
+
+		findByPrincipalName = this.repository.findByIndexNameAndIndexValue(INDEX_NAME, principalNameChanged);
+
+		assertThat(findByPrincipalName).hasSize(1);
+		assertThat(findByPrincipalName.keySet()).containsOnly(changeSessionId);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void changeSessionIdWhenOnlyChangeId() {
 		String attrName = "changeSessionId";
diff --git a/spring-session-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/session/data/redis/RedisIndexedSessionRepository.java b/spring-session-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/session/data/redis/RedisIndexedSessionRepository.java
index e1cd731d..19f3e0a2 100644
--- a/spring-session-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/session/data/redis/RedisIndexedSessionRepository.java
+++ b/spring-session-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/session/data/redis/RedisIndexedSessionRepository.java
@@ -858,11 +858,13 @@ public class RedisIndexedSessionRepository
 				catch (NonTransientDataAccessException ex) {
 					handleErrNoSuchKeyError(ex);
 				}
-				String originalPrincipalRedisKey = getPrincipalKey(this.originalPrincipalName);
-				RedisIndexedSessionRepository.this.sessionRedisOperations.boundSetOps(originalPrincipalRedisKey)
-						.remove(this.originalSessionId);
-				RedisIndexedSessionRepository.this.sessionRedisOperations.boundSetOps(originalPrincipalRedisKey)
-						.add(sessionId);
+				if (this.originalPrincipalName != null) {
+					String originalPrincipalRedisKey = getPrincipalKey(this.originalPrincipalName);
+					RedisIndexedSessionRepository.this.sessionRedisOperations.boundSetOps(originalPrincipalRedisKey)
+							.remove(this.originalSessionId);
+					RedisIndexedSessionRepository.this.sessionRedisOperations.boundSetOps(originalPrincipalRedisKey)
+							.add(sessionId);
+				}
 			}
 			this.originalSessionId = sessionId;
 		}