diff --git a/server/match_handler.go b/server/match_handler.go
index a090c165892acb9e5e1232a295d68469ba11bf25..e4038c694e99e7f13ea88696af44520a393935aa 100644
--- a/server/match_handler.go
+++ b/server/match_handler.go
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
+var ErrMatchInitStateNil = errors.New("Match initial state must not be nil")
+
 type MatchDataMessage struct {
 	UserID      uuid.UUID
 	SessionID   uuid.UUID
@@ -131,11 +133,6 @@ func NewMatchHandler(logger *zap.Logger, config Config, sessionRegistry SessionR
 		core.Cleanup()
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if state == nil {
-		core.Cancel()
-		core.Cleanup()
-		return nil, errors.New("Match initial state must not be nil")
-	}
 
 	// Construct the match.
 	mh := &MatchHandler{
diff --git a/server/runtime_go_match_core.go b/server/runtime_go_match_core.go
index b003fdaf230a696d9871642bad551c2e34a3920f..2090f5355b2b914aa24915d2ffb47aff7bca8781 100644
--- a/server/runtime_go_match_core.go
+++ b/server/runtime_go_match_core.go
@@ -107,6 +107,9 @@ func (r *RuntimeGoMatchCore) MatchInit(presenceList *MatchPresenceList, deferMes
 		return nil, 0, errors.New("MatchInit returned invalid tick rate, must be between 1 and 60")
 	}
 	r.tickRate = tickRate
+	if state == nil {
+		return nil, 0, ErrMatchInitStateNil
+	}
 
 	if err := r.matchRegistry.UpdateMatchLabel(r.id, r.tickRate, r.module, label, r.createTime); err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
diff --git a/server/runtime_javascript_match_core.go b/server/runtime_javascript_match_core.go
index f27144c22b37d0b5fce2fdafb916e60dba71f23c..cf858a52dbf871968a330677f27cea6dcb0ced2e 100644
--- a/server/runtime_javascript_match_core.go
+++ b/server/runtime_javascript_match_core.go
@@ -230,6 +230,9 @@ func (rm *RuntimeJavaScriptMatchCore) MatchInit(presenceList *MatchPresenceList,
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, 0, errors.New("matchInit is expected to return an object with a 'state' property")
 	}
+	if state == nil {
+		return nil, 0, ErrMatchInitStateNil
+	}
 
 	if err := rm.matchRegistry.UpdateMatchLabel(rm.id, rm.tickRate, rm.module, label, rm.createTime); err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
diff --git a/server/runtime_lua_match_core.go b/server/runtime_lua_match_core.go
index e068d5dd3e5a5f062188df561e6055d849789bf4..1b4389fb77cb6a9d23a5e4bbb3b772adae40a3a7 100644
--- a/server/runtime_lua_match_core.go
+++ b/server/runtime_lua_match_core.go
@@ -261,6 +261,9 @@ func (r *RuntimeLuaMatchCore) MatchInit(presenceList *MatchPresenceList, deferMe
 	if state.Type() == LTSentinel {
 		return nil, 0, errors.New("match_init returned unexpected first value, must be a state")
 	}
+	if state.Type() == lua.LTNil {
+		return nil, 0, ErrMatchInitStateNil
+	}
 	r.vm.Pop(1)
 
 	// Drop the sentinel value from the stack.