diff --git a/src/machine.rs b/src/machine.rs
index 61871e745894..91a83a8acf40 100644
--- a/src/machine.rs
+++ b/src/machine.rs
@@ -297,7 +297,8 @@ pub struct Evaluator<'mir, 'tcx> {
     string_cache: FxHashMap<String, measureme::StringId>,
 
     /// Cache of `Instance` exported under the given `Symbol` name.
-    pub(crate) exported_symbols_cache: FxHashMap<Symbol, Instance<'tcx>>,
+    /// `None` means no `Instance` exported under the given name is found.
+    pub(crate) exported_symbols_cache: FxHashMap<Symbol, Option<Instance<'tcx>>>,
 
     /// Whether to raise a panic in the context of the evaluated process when unsupported
     /// functionality is encountered. If `false`, an error is propagated in the Miri application context
diff --git a/src/shims/foreign_items.rs b/src/shims/foreign_items.rs
index f193751518e1..380ddac6c86a 100644
--- a/src/shims/foreign_items.rs
+++ b/src/shims/foreign_items.rs
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ pub trait EvalContextExt<'mir, 'tcx: 'mir>: crate::MiriEvalContextExt<'mir, 'tcx
 
         // If the result was cached, just return it.
         if let Some(instance) = this.machine.exported_symbols_cache.get(&link_name) {
-            return Ok(Some(this.load_mir(instance.def, None)?));
+            return instance.map(|instance| this.load_mir(instance.def, None)).transpose();
         }
 
         // Find it if it was not cached.
@@ -187,13 +187,10 @@ pub trait EvalContextExt<'mir, 'tcx: 'mir>: crate::MiriEvalContextExt<'mir, 'tcx
             }
         }
 
+        let instance = instance_and_crate.map(|ic| ic.0);
         // Cache it and load its MIR, if found.
-        instance_and_crate
-            .map(|(instance, _)| {
-                this.machine.exported_symbols_cache.insert(link_name, instance);
-                this.load_mir(instance.def, None)
-            })
-            .transpose()
+        this.machine.exported_symbols_cache.insert(link_name, instance);
+        instance.map(|instance| this.load_mir(instance.def, None)).transpose()
     }
 
     /// Emulates calling a foreign item, failing if the item is not supported.
diff --git a/tests/run-pass/function_calls/exported_symbol.rs b/tests/run-pass/function_calls/exported_symbol.rs
index c141f557e1d7..58115542332f 100644
--- a/tests/run-pass/function_calls/exported_symbol.rs
+++ b/tests/run-pass/function_calls/exported_symbol.rs
@@ -20,10 +20,15 @@ fn main() {
     for _ in 0..3 {
         extern "C" {
             fn foo() -> i32;
+            fn free(_: *mut std::ffi::c_void);
         }
 
         assert_eq!(unsafe { foo() }, -1);
 
+        // `free()` is a built-in shim, so calling it will add ("free", None) to the cache.
+        // Test that the cache is not broken with ("free", None).
+        unsafe { free(std::ptr::null_mut()) }
+
         extern "Rust" {
             fn bar() -> i32;
             fn baz() -> i32;