diff --git a/google/cloud/firestore_v1/base_query.py b/google/cloud/firestore_v1/base_query.py
index 4f3ee101f..8502fdfb2 100644
--- a/google/cloud/firestore_v1/base_query.py
+++ b/google/cloud/firestore_v1/base_query.py
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ def _normalize_cursor(self, cursor, orders) -> Optional[Tuple[Any, Any]]:
 
             document_fields = values
 
-        if len(document_fields) > len(orders):
+        if document_fields and len(document_fields) > len(orders):
             msg = _MISMATCH_CURSOR_W_ORDER_BY.format(document_fields, order_keys)
             raise ValueError(msg)
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/v1/test_base_query.py b/tests/unit/v1/test_base_query.py
index 3fb9a687f..7caa3799f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/v1/test_base_query.py
+++ b/tests/unit/v1/test_base_query.py
@@ -726,6 +726,14 @@ def test__normalize_orders_wo_orders_w_snapshot_cursor_w_neq_where(self):
         ]
         self.assertEqual(query._normalize_orders(), expected)
 
+    def test__normalize_orders_w_name_orders_w_none_cursor(self):
+        collection = self._make_collection("here")
+        query = (
+            self._make_one(collection).order_by("__name__", "DESCENDING").start_at(None)
+        )
+        expected = [query._make_order("__name__", "DESCENDING")]
+        self.assertEqual(query._normalize_orders(), expected)
+
     def test__normalize_cursor_none(self):
         query = self._make_one(mock.sentinel.parent)
         self.assertIsNone(query._normalize_cursor(None, query._orders))