diff --git a/google-cloud-bigquery/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/StandardTableDefinition.java b/google-cloud-bigquery/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/StandardTableDefinition.java
index 1c465343a..4e26f831f 100644
--- a/google-cloud-bigquery/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/StandardTableDefinition.java
+++ b/google-cloud-bigquery/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/StandardTableDefinition.java
@@ -285,17 +285,6 @@ static StandardTableDefinition fromPb(Table tablePb) {
                 + " in table "
                 + tablePb.getTableReference().getTableId(),
             e);
-      } catch (NullPointerException e) {
-        throw new NullPointerException(
-            "Null pointer - Got unexpected time partitioning "
-                + tablePb.getTimePartitioning().toString()
-                + " in project "
-                + tablePb.getTableReference().getProjectId()
-                + " in dataset "
-                + tablePb.getTableReference().getDatasetId()
-                + " in table "
-                + tablePb.getTableReference().getTableId()
-                + e.toString());
       }
     }
     if (tablePb.getRangePartitioning() != null) {
diff --git a/google-cloud-bigquery/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/TimePartitioning.java b/google-cloud-bigquery/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/TimePartitioning.java
index dd9d4a73c..43f342129 100644
--- a/google-cloud-bigquery/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/TimePartitioning.java
+++ b/google-cloud-bigquery/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/TimePartitioning.java
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ static TimePartitioning fromPb(
     if (Data.isNull(expirationMs)) {
       expirationMs = null;
     }
-    return newBuilder(Type.valueOf(partitioningPb.getType()))
+    return newBuilder(Type.valueOf(firstNonNull(partitioningPb.getType(), Type.DAY.name())))
         .setExpirationMs(expirationMs)
         .setField(partitioningPb.getField())
         .setRequirePartitionFilter(partitioningPb.getRequirePartitionFilter())
diff --git a/google-cloud-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/BigQueryImplTest.java b/google-cloud-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/BigQueryImplTest.java
index 7ab3e8ef2..999ea9a03 100644
--- a/google-cloud-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/BigQueryImplTest.java
+++ b/google-cloud-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/BigQueryImplTest.java
@@ -116,11 +116,22 @@ public class BigQueryImplTest {
   private static final Long TABLE_CREATION_TIME = 1546275600000L;
   private static final TimePartitioning TIME_PARTITIONING =
       TimePartitioning.of(TimePartitioning.Type.DAY, EXPIRATION_MS);
+  private static final com.google.api.services.bigquery.model.TimePartitioning PB_TIMEPARTITIONING =
+      new com.google.api.services.bigquery.model.TimePartitioning()
+          .setType(null)
+          .setField("timestampField");
+  private static final TimePartitioning TIME_PARTITIONING_NULL_TYPE =
+      TimePartitioning.fromPb(PB_TIMEPARTITIONING);
   private static final StandardTableDefinition TABLE_DEFINITION_WITH_PARTITIONING =
       StandardTableDefinition.newBuilder()
           .setSchema(TABLE_SCHEMA)
           .setTimePartitioning(TIME_PARTITIONING)
           .build();
+  private static final StandardTableDefinition TABLE_DEFINITION_WITH_PARTITIONING_NULL_TYPE =
+      StandardTableDefinition.newBuilder()
+          .setSchema(TABLE_SCHEMA)
+          .setTimePartitioning(TIME_PARTITIONING_NULL_TYPE)
+          .build();
   private static final RangePartitioning.Range RANGE =
       RangePartitioning.Range.newBuilder().setStart(1L).setInterval(2L).setEnd(10L).build();
   private static final RangePartitioning RANGE_PARTITIONING =
@@ -142,7 +153,10 @@ public class BigQueryImplTest {
       TableInfo.newBuilder(TABLE_ID, TABLE_DEFINITION_WITH_PARTITIONING)
           .setCreationTime(TABLE_CREATION_TIME)
           .build();
-
+  private static final TableInfo TABLE_INFO_WITH_PARTITIONS_NULL_TYPE =
+      TableInfo.newBuilder(TABLE_ID, TABLE_DEFINITION_WITH_PARTITIONING_NULL_TYPE)
+          .setCreationTime(TABLE_CREATION_TIME)
+          .build();
   private static final ModelId OTHER_MODEL_ID = ModelId.of(DATASET, OTHER_MODEL);
   private static final ModelId MODEL_ID_WITH_PROJECT = ModelId.of(PROJECT, DATASET, MODEL);
 
@@ -912,6 +926,22 @@ public void testListTablesReturnedParameters() {
     assertArrayEquals(tableList.toArray(), Iterables.toArray(page.getValues(), Table.class));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testListTablesReturnedParametersNullType() {
+    bigquery = options.getService();
+    ImmutableList<Table> tableList =
+        ImmutableList.of(
+            new Table(bigquery, new TableInfo.BuilderImpl(TABLE_INFO_WITH_PARTITIONS_NULL_TYPE)));
+    Tuple<String, Iterable<com.google.api.services.bigquery.model.Table>> result =
+        Tuple.of(CURSOR, Iterables.transform(tableList, TableInfo.TO_PB_FUNCTION));
+    EasyMock.expect(bigqueryRpcMock.listTables(PROJECT, DATASET, TABLE_LIST_OPTIONS))
+        .andReturn(result);
+    EasyMock.replay(bigqueryRpcMock);
+    Page<Table> page = bigquery.listTables(DATASET, TABLE_LIST_PAGE_SIZE, TABLE_LIST_PAGE_TOKEN);
+    assertEquals(CURSOR, page.getNextPageToken());
+    assertArrayEquals(tableList.toArray(), Iterables.toArray(page.getValues(), Table.class));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testListTablesWithRangePartitioning() {
     bigquery = options.getService();
diff --git a/google-cloud-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/StandardTableDefinitionTest.java b/google-cloud-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/StandardTableDefinitionTest.java
index d1dd0cc29..397e69d1e 100644
--- a/google-cloud-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/StandardTableDefinitionTest.java
+++ b/google-cloud-bigquery/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/bigquery/StandardTableDefinitionTest.java
@@ -152,34 +152,6 @@ public void testFromPbWithUnexpectedTimePartitioningTypeRaisesInvalidArgumentExc
     fail("testFromPb illegal argument exception did not throw!");
   }
 
-  @Test
-  public void testFromPbWithNullTimePartitioningTypeRaisesNullPointerException() {
-    Table invalidTable =
-        new Table()
-            .setType("TABLE")
-            .setTableReference(
-                new TableReference()
-                    .setProjectId("NULL_PTR_TEST_PROJECT")
-                    .setDatasetId("NULL_PTR_TEST_DATASET")
-                    .setTableId("NULL_PTR_TEST_TABLE"))
-            .setTimePartitioning(
-                new com.google.api.services.bigquery.model.TimePartitioning().setType(null));
-    try {
-      StandardTableDefinition.fromPb(invalidTable);
-    } catch (NullPointerException ne) {
-      assertThat(
-          ne.getMessage(),
-          allOf(
-              containsString("Null pointer - Got unexpected time partitioning"),
-              containsString("null"),
-              containsString("NULL_PTR_TEST_PROJECT"),
-              containsString("NULL_PTR_TEST_DATASET"),
-              containsString("NULL_PTR_TEST_TABLE")));
-      return;
-    }
-    fail("testFromPb null pointer exception did not throw!");
-  }
-
   @Test
   public void testFromPbWithNullEstimatedRowsAndBytes() {
     StandardTableDefinition.fromPb(