diff --git a/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help.out b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..38c23a044a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help.out
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# HELP foo First help text.
+# TYPE foo gauge
+foo{file="a"} 1
+# HELP node_textfile_mtime_seconds Unixtime mtime of textfiles successfully read.
+# TYPE node_textfile_mtime_seconds gauge
+node_textfile_mtime_seconds{file="fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/a.prom"} 1
+node_textfile_mtime_seconds{file="fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/b.prom"} 1
+node_textfile_mtime_seconds{file="fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/c.prom"} 1
+node_textfile_mtime_seconds{file="fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/d.prom"} 1
+# HELP node_textfile_scrape_error 1 if there was an error opening or reading a file, 0 otherwise
+# TYPE node_textfile_scrape_error gauge
+node_textfile_scrape_error 1
diff --git a/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/a.prom b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/a.prom
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4e727fd6d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/a.prom
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# HELP foo First help text.
+# TYPE foo gauge
+foo{file="a"} 1
diff --git a/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/b.prom b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/b.prom
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b094d1087e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/b.prom
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# HELP foo Second help text.
+# TYPE foo gauge
+foo{file="b"} 2
diff --git a/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/c.prom b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/c.prom
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7e6cf1efa5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/c.prom
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# TYPE foo gauge
+foo{file="c"} 3
diff --git a/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/d.prom b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/d.prom
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3569ccf392
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collector/fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help/d.prom
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# HELP foo First help text.
+# TYPE foo gauge
+foo{file="d"} 4
diff --git a/collector/textfile.go b/collector/textfile.go
index 6629eb9d8e..8e4055f297 100644
--- a/collector/textfile.go
+++ b/collector/textfile.go
@@ -219,12 +219,14 @@ func (c *textFileCollector) Update(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) error {
 				// Check for metrics with inconsistent help texts and take the first help text occurrence.
 				if helpTexts, seen := metricsNamesToHelpTexts[*mf.Name]; seen {
 					if mf.Help != nil && helpTexts[0] != *mf.Help || helpTexts[1] != "" {
-						metricsNamesToHelpTexts[*mf.Name] = [2]string{helpTexts[0], *mf.Help}
+						if mf.Help != nil {
+							metricsNamesToHelpTexts[*mf.Name] = [2]string{helpTexts[0], *mf.Help}
+						}
 						errored = true
 						c.logger.Error("inconsistent metric help text",
 							"metric", *mf.Name,
 							"original_help_text", helpTexts[0],
-							"new_help_text", *mf.Help,
+							"new_help_text", mf.GetHelp(),
 							// Only the first file path will be recorded in case of two or more inconsistent help texts.
 							"file", metricsNamesToFiles[*mf.Name][0])
 						continue
diff --git a/collector/textfile_test.go b/collector/textfile_test.go
index 222ffa8fee..1412377c66 100644
--- a/collector/textfile_test.go
+++ b/collector/textfile_test.go
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ func TestTextfileCollector(t *testing.T) {
 			paths: []string{"fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_different_help"},
 			out:   "fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_different_help.out",
 		},
+		{
+			paths: []string{"fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help"},
+			out:   "fixtures/textfile/metrics_merge_inconsistent_then_no_help.out",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for i, test := range tests {