diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index e665819e1..a8ab4f180 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -294,9 +294,8 @@ export class Utils {
             return `.matchRE2JS(${_rhs}) ${_operator} null`;
         });
 
-        // Convert all null.match functions to false
         evalStr = evalStr.replace(/null.matchRE2JS\(.+?\)\s*!=\s*null/g, "false");
-        evalStr = evalStr.replace(/null.matchRE2JS\(.+?\)\s*==\s*null/g, "false");
+        evalStr = evalStr.replace(/null.matchRE2JS\(.+?\)\s*==\s*null/g, "true");
 
         evalStr = evalStr.trim();
 
diff --git a/tests/rules.test.ts b/tests/rules.test.ts
index a0b879bdb..2e54dccdb 100644
--- a/tests/rules.test.ts
+++ b/tests/rules.test.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ test("Negated regex on undef var", () => {
     ];
     const variables = {};
     const rulesResult = Utils.getRulesResult({argv, cwd: "", rules, variables}, gitData);
-    expect(rulesResult).toEqual({when: "never", allowFailure: false, variables: undefined});
+    expect(rulesResult).toEqual({when: "on_success", allowFailure: false, variables: undefined});
 });
 
 test("GITLAB_CI fail and fallback", () => {