diff --git a/task_test.go b/task_test.go
index 8ccc92d9..97558950 100644
--- a/task_test.go
+++ b/task_test.go
@@ -756,14 +756,14 @@ func TestIncludesCallingRoot(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestIncludesOptional(t *testing.T) {
-  tt := fileContentTest{
-    Dir:       "testdata/includes_optional",
-    Target:    "default",
-	  TrimSpace: true,
-	  Files: map[string]string{
-		  "called_dep.txt": "called_dep",
-	  }}
-  tt.Run(t)
+	tt := fileContentTest{
+		Dir:       "testdata/includes_optional",
+		Target:    "default",
+		TrimSpace: true,
+		Files: map[string]string{
+			"called_dep.txt": "called_dep",
+		}}
+	tt.Run(t)
 }
 
 func TestIncludesOptionalImplicitFalse(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1033,6 +1033,7 @@ func TestIgnoreNilElements(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"nil cmd", "testdata/ignore_nil_elements/cmds"},
 		{"nil dep", "testdata/ignore_nil_elements/deps"},
+		{"nil include", "testdata/ignore_nil_elements/includes"},
 		{"nil precondition", "testdata/ignore_nil_elements/preconditions"},
 	}
 
diff --git a/taskfile/merge.go b/taskfile/merge.go
index 93466008..45d40571 100644
--- a/taskfile/merge.go
+++ b/taskfile/merge.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func Merge(t1, t2 *Taskfile, namespaces ...string) error {
 			dep.Task = taskNameWithNamespace(dep.Task, namespaces...)
 		}
 		for _, cmd := range v.Cmds {
-			if cmd.Task != "" {
+			if cmd != nil && cmd.Task != "" {
 				cmd.Task = taskNameWithNamespace(cmd.Task, namespaces...)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/testdata/ignore_nil_elements/includes/Taskfile.yml b/testdata/ignore_nil_elements/includes/Taskfile.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a428fa34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/ignore_nil_elements/includes/Taskfile.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+version: '3'
+
+includes:
+  inc: inc.yml
+
+tasks:
+  default:
+    cmds:
+      - task: inc:default
diff --git a/testdata/ignore_nil_elements/includes/inc.yml b/testdata/ignore_nil_elements/includes/inc.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..537bad1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/ignore_nil_elements/includes/inc.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+version: '3'
+
+tasks:
+  default:
+    cmds:
+      - 
+      - echo "string-slice-1"