diff --git a/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactive/src/Await.kt b/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactive/src/Await.kt
index e9f6955085..d0ca317a45 100644
--- a/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactive/src/Await.kt
+++ b/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactive/src/Await.kt
@@ -94,17 +94,19 @@ public suspend fun <T> Publisher<T>.awaitSingle(): T = awaitOne(Mode.SINGLE)
 public suspend fun <T> Publisher<T>.awaitSingleOrDefault(default: T): T = awaitOne(Mode.SINGLE_OR_DEFAULT, default)
 
 /**
- * Awaits for the single value from the given publisher or `null` value if none is emitted without blocking a thread and
- * returns the resulting value or throws the corresponding exception if this publisher had produced error.
+ * Awaits the single value from the given observable without blocking the thread and returns the resulting value, or, if
+ * this observable has produced an error, throws the corresponding exception. If more than one value or none were
+ * produced by the publisher, `null` is returned.
  *
  * This suspending function is cancellable.
- * If the [Job] of the current coroutine is cancelled or completed while this suspending function is waiting, this function
- * immediately resumes with [CancellationException].
- *
- * @throws NoSuchElementException if publisher does not emit any value
- * @throws IllegalArgumentException if publisher emits more than one value
+ * If the [Job] of the current coroutine is cancelled or completed while the suspending function is waiting, this
+ * function immediately cancels its [Subscription] and resumes with [CancellationException].
  */
-public suspend fun <T> Publisher<T>.awaitSingleOrNull(): T = awaitOne(Mode.SINGLE_OR_DEFAULT)
+public suspend fun <T> Publisher<T>.awaitSingleOrNull(): T? = try {
+    awaitOne(Mode.SINGLE_OR_DEFAULT)
+} catch (e: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException) {
+    null
+}
 
 /**
  * Awaits for the single value from the given publisher or call [defaultValue] to get a value if none is emitted without blocking a thread and
diff --git a/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactive/test/IntegrationTest.kt b/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactive/test/IntegrationTest.kt
index 18cd012d16..7374fc54c9 100644
--- a/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactive/test/IntegrationTest.kt
+++ b/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactive/test/IntegrationTest.kt
@@ -92,10 +92,10 @@ class IntegrationTest(
         assertEquals(1, pub.awaitFirstOrDefault(0))
         assertEquals(1, pub.awaitFirstOrNull())
         assertEquals(1, pub.awaitFirstOrElse { 0 })
+        assertEquals(null, pub.awaitSingleOrNull())
         assertEquals(n, pub.awaitLast())
         assertFailsWith<IllegalArgumentException> { pub.awaitSingle() }
         assertFailsWith<IllegalArgumentException> { pub.awaitSingleOrDefault(0) }
-        assertFailsWith<IllegalArgumentException> { pub.awaitSingleOrNull() }
         assertFailsWith<IllegalArgumentException> { pub.awaitSingleOrElse { 0 } }
         checkNumbers(n, pub)
         val channel = pub.openSubscription()
diff --git a/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactor/test/FluxSingleTest.kt b/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactor/test/FluxSingleTest.kt
index cc336ba6b5..26b9712c3b 100644
--- a/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactor/test/FluxSingleTest.kt
+++ b/reactive/kotlinx-coroutines-reactor/test/FluxSingleTest.kt
@@ -104,11 +104,11 @@ class FluxSingleTest : TestBase() {
     @Test
     fun testAwaitSingleOrNullException() {
         val flux = flux {
-            send((Flux.just("O", "#").awaitSingleOrNull() ?: "!") + "K")
+            send((Flux.just("!", "#").awaitSingleOrNull() ?: "O") + "K")
         }
 
-        checkErroneous(flux) {
-            assert(it is IllegalArgumentException)
+        checkSingleValue(flux) {
+            assertEquals("OK", it)
         }
     }