diff --git a/interpolate.go b/interpolate.go
index 372164f..2a948dc 100644
--- a/interpolate.go
+++ b/interpolate.go
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ func (i *interpolator) encodePlaceholder(value interface{}, topLevel bool) error
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	v := reflect.ValueOf(value)
+	if value == nil || (v.Kind() == reflect.Ptr && v.IsNil()) {
+		i.WriteString("NULL")
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	if valuer, ok := value.(driver.Valuer); ok {
 		// get driver.Valuer's data
 		var err error
@@ -126,13 +132,9 @@ func (i *interpolator) encodePlaceholder(value interface{}, topLevel bool) error
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		v = reflect.ValueOf(value)
 	}
 
-	if value == nil {
-		i.WriteString("NULL")
-		return nil
-	}
-	v := reflect.ValueOf(value)
 	switch v.Kind() {
 	case reflect.String:
 		i.WriteString(i.EncodeString(v.String()))
diff --git a/interpolate_test.go b/interpolate_test.go
index bb45aed..4123ba3 100644
--- a/interpolate_test.go
+++ b/interpolate_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package dbr
 
 import (
+	"database/sql/driver"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -177,6 +178,56 @@ func TestCommonSQLInjections(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// testValuer is a simple implementation of driver.Value, for testing purposes
+type testValuer struct{}
+
+func (tv testValuer) Value() (driver.Value, error) {
+	return "ok", nil
+}
+
+// Ensures that nil driver.Valuer values are handler correctly.
+func TestEncodePlaceholderHandlesNilValuers(t *testing.T) {
+	i := interpolator{
+		Buffer:       NewBuffer(),
+		Dialect:      dialect.MySQL,
+		IgnoreBinary: true,
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		name  string
+		value func() interface{}
+	}{
+		{
+			name:  "nil value",
+			value: func() interface{} { return nil },
+		},
+		{
+			name: "nil valuer pointer",
+			value: func() interface{} {
+				var v *testValuer
+				return v
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "not nil valuer pointer",
+			value: func() interface{} { return &testValuer{} },
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "value",
+			value: func() interface{} { return 123 },
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "valuer",
+			value: func() interface{} { return testValuer{} },
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := i.encodePlaceholder(test.value(), true)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // InjectionAttempts is a newline separated list of common SQL injection exploits
 // taken from https://wfuzz.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/wordlist/Injections/SQL.txt