diff --git a/runtime/sam/expr/function/compare.go b/runtime/sam/expr/function/compare.go
index 5905ba10e8..e3b165416f 100644
--- a/runtime/sam/expr/function/compare.go
+++ b/runtime/sam/expr/function/compare.go
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ func (e *Compare) Call(_ super.Allocator, args []super.Value) super.Value {
 		}
 		nullsMax = args[2].Bool()
 	}
+	if args[0].IsError() {
+		return args[0]
+	}
+	if args[1].IsError() {
+		return args[1]
+	}
 	cmp := e.nullsMax
 	if !nullsMax {
 		cmp = e.nullsMin
diff --git a/runtime/sam/expr/function/ztests/compare.yaml b/runtime/sam/expr/function/ztests/compare.yaml
index 5ac5a44948..147f5a988c 100644
--- a/runtime/sam/expr/function/ztests/compare.yaml
+++ b/runtime/sam/expr/function/ztests/compare.yaml
@@ -5,9 +5,13 @@ input: |
   {a: 2, b: "1"}
   {a: null, b: 2}
   {a: 0, b: 0.}
+  {a: 0}
+  {b: 0}
 
 output: |
   1
   -1
   1
   0
+  error("missing")
+  error("missing")