diff --git a/src/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonClassInfo.cs b/src/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonClassInfo.cs
index 3e754b5bbcc2..eb83f661e237 100644
--- a/src/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonClassInfo.cs
+++ b/src/System.Text.Json/src/System/Text/Json/Serialization/JsonClassInfo.cs
@@ -332,19 +332,17 @@ public JsonPropertyInfo GetProperty(ReadOnlySpan<byte> propertyName, ref ReadSta
             // No cached item was found. Try the main list which has all of the properties.
 
             string stringPropertyName = JsonHelpers.Utf8GetString(propertyName);
-            PropertyCache.TryGetValue(stringPropertyName, out JsonPropertyInfo info);
+            if (!PropertyCache.TryGetValue(stringPropertyName, out JsonPropertyInfo info))
+            {
+                info = JsonPropertyInfo.s_missingProperty;
+            }
 
             // Three code paths to get here:
-            // 1) info == null. Property not found.
+            // 1) info == s_missingProperty. Property not found.
             // 2) key == info.PropertyNameKey. Exact match found.
             // 3) key != info.PropertyNameKey. Match found due to case insensitivity.
             Debug.Assert(info == null || key == info.PropertyNameKey || Options.PropertyNameCaseInsensitive);
 
-            if (info == null)
-            {
-                info = JsonPropertyInfo.s_missingProperty;
-            }
-
             // Check if we should add this to the cache.
             // Only cache up to a threshold length and then just use the dictionary when an item is not found in the cache.
             int cacheCount;