diff --git a/dlls/msxml3/node.c b/dlls/msxml3/node.c
index d7af878c2cf..1109a98d711 100644
--- a/dlls/msxml3/node.c
+++ b/dlls/msxml3/node.c
@@ -452,6 +452,9 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI xmlnode_removeChild(
     TRACE("%p->(%p, %p)\n", This, childNode, oldChild);
 
     *oldChild = NULL;
+
+    if(!childNode) return E_INVALIDARG;
+
     hr = IXMLDOMNode_QueryInterface(childNode, &IID_IXMLDOMNode, (LPVOID)&child);
     if(FAILED(hr))
         return hr;
diff --git a/dlls/msxml3/tests/domdoc.c b/dlls/msxml3/tests/domdoc.c
index ecb83088373..aaad03672e6 100644
--- a/dlls/msxml3/tests/domdoc.c
+++ b/dlls/msxml3/tests/domdoc.c
@@ -1054,6 +1054,9 @@ static void test_removeChild(void)
     r = IXMLDOMNodeList_get_item( node_list, 0, &node4 );
     ok( r == S_OK, "ret %08lx\n", r);
 
+    r = IXMLDOMElement_removeChild( element, NULL, &node2 );
+    ok( r == E_INVALIDARG, "ret %08lx\n", r );
+
     r = IXMLDOMElement_removeChild( element, node4, &node2 );
     ok( r == S_OK, "ret %08lx\n", r);
     ok( node4 == node2, "node %p node2 %p\n", node4, node2 );