diff --git a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapDifficultyCache.cs b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapDifficultyCache.cs
index 37d262abe5..53d82c385d 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapDifficultyCache.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapDifficultyCache.cs
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="beatmapInfo">The <see cref="BeatmapInfo"/> to get the difficulty of.</param>
         /// <param name="cancellationToken">An optional <see cref="CancellationToken"/> which stops updating the star difficulty for the given <see cref="BeatmapInfo"/>.</param>
-        /// <returns>A bindable that is updated to contain the star difficulty when it becomes available.</returns>
-        public IBindable<StarDifficulty> GetBindableDifficulty([NotNull] BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        /// <returns>A bindable that is updated to contain the star difficulty when it becomes available. Will be null while in an initial calculating state (but not during updates to ruleset and mods if a stale value is already propagated).</returns>
+        public IBindable<StarDifficulty?> GetBindableDifficulty([NotNull] BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
         {
             var bindable = createBindable(beatmapInfo, currentRuleset.Value, currentMods.Value, cancellationToken);
 
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
         /// <param name="rulesetInfo">The <see cref="RulesetInfo"/> to get the difficulty with. If <c>null</c>, the <paramref name="beatmapInfo"/>'s ruleset is used.</param>
         /// <param name="mods">The <see cref="Mod"/>s to get the difficulty with. If <c>null</c>, no mods will be assumed.</param>
         /// <param name="cancellationToken">An optional <see cref="CancellationToken"/> which stops updating the star difficulty for the given <see cref="BeatmapInfo"/>.</param>
-        /// <returns>A bindable that is updated to contain the star difficulty when it becomes available.</returns>
-        public IBindable<StarDifficulty> GetBindableDifficulty([NotNull] BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, [CanBeNull] RulesetInfo rulesetInfo, [CanBeNull] IEnumerable<Mod> mods,
-                                                               CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        /// <returns>A bindable that is updated to contain the star difficulty when it becomes available. Will be null while in an initial calculating state.</returns>
+        public IBindable<StarDifficulty?> GetBindableDifficulty([NotNull] BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, [CanBeNull] RulesetInfo rulesetInfo, [CanBeNull] IEnumerable<Mod> mods,
+                                                                CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
             => createBindable(beatmapInfo, rulesetInfo, mods, cancellationToken);
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
             }
         }
 
-        private class BindableStarDifficulty : Bindable<StarDifficulty>
+        private class BindableStarDifficulty : Bindable<StarDifficulty?>
         {
             public readonly BeatmapInfo Beatmap;
             public readonly CancellationToken CancellationToken;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/Drawables/DifficultyIcon.cs b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/Drawables/DifficultyIcon.cs
index 96e18f120a..c62b803d1a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/Drawables/DifficultyIcon.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/Drawables/DifficultyIcon.cs
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps.Drawables
                 this.mods = mods;
             }
 
-            private IBindable<StarDifficulty> localStarDifficulty;
+            private IBindable<StarDifficulty?> localStarDifficulty;
 
             [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
             private void load()
@@ -160,7 +160,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps.Drawables
                 localStarDifficulty = ruleset != null
                     ? difficultyCache.GetBindableDifficulty(beatmap, ruleset, mods, difficultyCancellation.Token)
                     : difficultyCache.GetBindableDifficulty(beatmap, difficultyCancellation.Token);
-                localStarDifficulty.BindValueChanged(difficulty => StarDifficulty.Value = difficulty.NewValue);
+                localStarDifficulty.BindValueChanged(d =>
+                {
+                    if (d.NewValue is StarDifficulty diff)
+                        StarDifficulty.Value = diff;
+                });
             }
 
             protected override void Dispose(bool isDisposing)
diff --git a/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs b/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
index a6beb19876..96ec9644b5 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Scoring
                 ScoringMode.BindValueChanged(onScoringModeChanged, true);
             }
 
-            private IBindable<StarDifficulty> difficultyBindable;
+            private IBindable<StarDifficulty?> difficultyBindable;
             private CancellationTokenSource difficultyCancellationSource;
 
             private void onScoringModeChanged(ValueChangedEvent<ScoringMode> mode)
@@ -168,7 +168,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Scoring
 
                         // We can compute the max combo locally after the async beatmap difficulty computation.
                         difficultyBindable = difficulties().GetBindableDifficulty(score.Beatmap, score.Ruleset, score.Mods, (difficultyCancellationSource = new CancellationTokenSource()).Token);
-                        difficultyBindable.BindValueChanged(d => updateScore(d.NewValue.MaxCombo), true);
+                        difficultyBindable.BindValueChanged(d =>
+                        {
+                            if (d.NewValue is StarDifficulty diff)
+                                updateScore(diff.MaxCombo);
+                        }, true);
 
                         return;
                     }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapInfoWedge.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapInfoWedge.cs
index 36cc19cce3..4069dc82ed 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapInfoWedge.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapInfoWedge.cs
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
         [Resolved]
         private BeatmapDifficultyCache difficultyCache { get; set; }
 
-        private IBindable<StarDifficulty> beatmapDifficulty;
+        private IBindable<StarDifficulty?> beatmapDifficulty;
 
         protected BufferedWedgeInfo Info;
 
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
                     return;
                 }
 
-                LoadComponentAsync(loadingInfo = new BufferedWedgeInfo(beatmap, ruleset.Value, mods.Value, beatmapDifficulty.Value)
+                LoadComponentAsync(loadingInfo = new BufferedWedgeInfo(beatmap, ruleset.Value, mods.Value, beatmapDifficulty.Value ?? new StarDifficulty())
                 {
                     Shear = -Shear,
                     Depth = Info?.Depth + 1 ?? 0
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/Carousel/DrawableCarouselBeatmap.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/Carousel/DrawableCarouselBeatmap.cs
index e66469ff8d..633ef9297e 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/Carousel/DrawableCarouselBeatmap.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/Carousel/DrawableCarouselBeatmap.cs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select.Carousel
         [Resolved(CanBeNull = true)]
         private ManageCollectionsDialog manageCollectionsDialog { get; set; }
 
-        private IBindable<StarDifficulty> starDifficultyBindable;
+        private IBindable<StarDifficulty?> starDifficultyBindable;
         private CancellationTokenSource starDifficultyCancellationSource;
 
         public DrawableCarouselBeatmap(CarouselBeatmap panel)
@@ -217,7 +217,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select.Carousel
             {
                 // We've potentially cancelled the computation above so a new bindable is required.
                 starDifficultyBindable = difficultyCache.GetBindableDifficulty(beatmap, (starDifficultyCancellationSource = new CancellationTokenSource()).Token);
-                starDifficultyBindable.BindValueChanged(d => starCounter.Current = (float)d.NewValue.Stars, true);
+                starDifficultyBindable.BindValueChanged(d =>
+                {
+                    starCounter.Current = (float)(d.NewValue?.Stars ?? 0);
+                }, true);
             }
 
             base.ApplyState();