diff --git a/ranges/min-version.js b/ranges/min-version.js
index 09a65aa3..d9d79574 100644
--- a/ranges/min-version.js
+++ b/ranges/min-version.js
@@ -49,15 +49,15 @@ const minVersion = (range, loose) => {
           throw new Error(`Unexpected operation: ${comparator.operator}`)
       }
     })
-    if (setMin && (!minver || gt(minver, setMin))) {
+    // Maximum versions are ignored above, so a comparator set that is a null
+    // set (eg `^1 ^2`) still yields a candidate. Check the candidate against
+    // the range here rather than once at the end, so that such a set cannot
+    // mask the minimum of another set in the union.
+    if (setMin && (!minver || gt(minver, setMin)) && range.test(setMin)) {
       minver = setMin
     }
   }
 
-  if (minver && range.test(minver)) {
-    return minver
-  }
-
-  return null
+  return minver
 }
 module.exports = minVersion
diff --git a/test/ranges/min-version.js b/test/ranges/min-version.js
index eeb9b725..984b1aa1 100644
--- a/test/ranges/min-version.js
+++ b/test/ranges/min-version.js
@@ -64,8 +64,15 @@ test('minimum version in range tests', (t) => {
     ['>2 || >1.0.0-0', '1.0.0-0.0'],
     ['>2 || >1.0.0-beta', '1.0.0-beta.0'],
 
+    // A null set in a union must not mask the minimum of the other sets
+    ['^1 ^2 || >=3', '3.0.0'],
+    ['>=2 <1 || >=3', '3.0.0'],
+    ['1.x 2.x || >=3', '3.0.0'],
+    ['>=3 || ^1 ^2', '3.0.0'],
+
     // Impossible range
     ['>4 <3', null],
+    ['^1 ^2 || >4 <3', null],
   ].forEach((tuple) => {
     const range = tuple[0]
     const version = tuple[1]