diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-hive-bundle/nifi-hive-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/hive/SelectHiveQL.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-hive-bundle/nifi-hive-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/hive/SelectHiveQL.java
index d4d31cc1e8..b9ce1c9455 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-hive-bundle/nifi-hive-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/hive/SelectHiveQL.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-hive-bundle/nifi-hive-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/hive/SelectHiveQL.java
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ public class SelectHiveQL extends AbstractHiveQLProcessor {
     }
 
     private void onTrigger(final ProcessContext context, final ProcessSession session) throws ProcessException {
-        final FlowFile fileToProcess = (context.hasIncomingConnection() ? session.get() : null);
+        FlowFile fileToProcess = (context.hasIncomingConnection() ? session.get() : null);
         FlowFile flowfile = null;
 
         // If we have no FlowFile, and all incoming connections are self-loops then we can continue on.
@@ -338,8 +338,9 @@ public class SelectHiveQL extends AbstractHiveQLProcessor {
                 try {
                     resultSet = (flowbased ? ((PreparedStatement) st).executeQuery() : st.executeQuery(selectQuery));
                 } catch (SQLException se) {
-                    // If an error occurs during the query, a flowfile is expected to be routed to failure, so create one here (the original will be removed)
-                    flowfile = session.create(fileToProcess);
+                    // If an error occurs during the query, a flowfile is expected to be routed to failure, so ensure one here
+                    flowfile = (fileToProcess == null) ? session.create() : fileToProcess;
+                    fileToProcess = null;
                     throw se;
                 }
 
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-hive-bundle/nifi-hive-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/hive/TestSelectHiveQL.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-hive-bundle/nifi-hive-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/hive/TestSelectHiveQL.java
index 8313caa267..2222dbcb8d 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-hive-bundle/nifi-hive-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/hive/TestSelectHiveQL.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-hive-bundle/nifi-hive-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/hive/TestSelectHiveQL.java
@@ -181,6 +181,30 @@ public class TestSelectHiveQL {
         runner.assertAllFlowFilesTransferred(SelectHiveQL.REL_FAILURE, 1);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testWithBadSQL() throws SQLException {
+        final String BAD_SQL = "create table TEST_NO_ROWS (id integer)";
+
+        // Test with incoming flow file (it should be routed to failure intact, i.e. same content and no parent)
+        runner.setIncomingConnection(true);
+        // Try a valid SQL statement that will generate an error (val1 does not exist, e.g.)
+        runner.enqueue(BAD_SQL);
+        runner.run();
+        runner.assertAllFlowFilesTransferred(SelectHiveQL.REL_FAILURE, 1);
+        MockFlowFile flowFile = runner.getFlowFilesForRelationship(SelectHiveQL.REL_FAILURE).get(0);
+        flowFile.assertContentEquals(BAD_SQL);
+        flowFile.assertAttributeEquals("parentIds", null);
+        runner.clearTransferState();
+
+        // Test with no incoming flow file (an empty flow file is transferred)
+        runner.setIncomingConnection(false);
+        // Try a valid SQL statement that will generate an error (val1 does not exist, e.g.)
+        runner.setProperty(SelectHiveQL.HIVEQL_SELECT_QUERY, BAD_SQL);
+        runner.run();
+        runner.assertAllFlowFilesTransferred(SelectHiveQL.REL_FAILURE, 1);
+        flowFile = runner.getFlowFilesForRelationship(SelectHiveQL.REL_FAILURE).get(0);
+        flowFile.assertContentEquals("");
+    }
 
     @Test
     public void invokeOnTriggerWithCsv()