diff --git a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapDifficultyCache.cs b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapDifficultyCache.cs
index 37d262abe5..72a9b36c6f 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapDifficultyCache.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapDifficultyCache.cs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
         /// <param name="beatmapInfo">The <see cref="BeatmapInfo"/> to get the difficulty of.</param>
         /// <param name="cancellationToken">An optional <see cref="CancellationToken"/> which stops updating the star difficulty for the given <see cref="BeatmapInfo"/>.</param>
         /// <returns>A bindable that is updated to contain the star difficulty when it becomes available.</returns>
-        public IBindable<StarDifficulty> GetBindableDifficulty([NotNull] BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        public IBindable<StarDifficulty?> GetBindableDifficulty([NotNull] BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
         {
             var bindable = createBindable(beatmapInfo, currentRuleset.Value, currentMods.Value, cancellationToken);
 
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
         /// <param name="mods">The <see cref="Mod"/>s to get the difficulty with. If <c>null</c>, no mods will be assumed.</param>
         /// <param name="cancellationToken">An optional <see cref="CancellationToken"/> which stops updating the star difficulty for the given <see cref="BeatmapInfo"/>.</param>
         /// <returns>A bindable that is updated to contain the star difficulty when it becomes available.</returns>
-        public IBindable<StarDifficulty> GetBindableDifficulty([NotNull] BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, [CanBeNull] RulesetInfo rulesetInfo, [CanBeNull] IEnumerable<Mod> mods,
-                                                               CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        public IBindable<StarDifficulty?> GetBindableDifficulty([NotNull] BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, [CanBeNull] RulesetInfo rulesetInfo, [CanBeNull] IEnumerable<Mod> mods,
+                                                                CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
             => createBindable(beatmapInfo, rulesetInfo, mods, cancellationToken);
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
             }
         }
 
-        private class BindableStarDifficulty : Bindable<StarDifficulty>
+        private class BindableStarDifficulty : Bindable<StarDifficulty?>
         {
             public readonly BeatmapInfo Beatmap;
             public readonly CancellationToken CancellationToken;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/Drawables/DifficultyIcon.cs b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/Drawables/DifficultyIcon.cs
index 96e18f120a..c62b803d1a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/Drawables/DifficultyIcon.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/Drawables/DifficultyIcon.cs
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps.Drawables
                 this.mods = mods;
             }
 
-            private IBindable<StarDifficulty> localStarDifficulty;
+            private IBindable<StarDifficulty?> localStarDifficulty;
 
             [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
             private void load()
@@ -160,7 +160,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps.Drawables
                 localStarDifficulty = ruleset != null
                     ? difficultyCache.GetBindableDifficulty(beatmap, ruleset, mods, difficultyCancellation.Token)
                     : difficultyCache.GetBindableDifficulty(beatmap, difficultyCancellation.Token);
-                localStarDifficulty.BindValueChanged(difficulty => StarDifficulty.Value = difficulty.NewValue);
+                localStarDifficulty.BindValueChanged(d =>
+                {
+                    if (d.NewValue is StarDifficulty diff)
+                        StarDifficulty.Value = diff;
+                });
             }
 
             protected override void Dispose(bool isDisposing)
diff --git a/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs b/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
index a6beb19876..96ec9644b5 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Scoring
                 ScoringMode.BindValueChanged(onScoringModeChanged, true);
             }
 
-            private IBindable<StarDifficulty> difficultyBindable;
+            private IBindable<StarDifficulty?> difficultyBindable;
             private CancellationTokenSource difficultyCancellationSource;
 
             private void onScoringModeChanged(ValueChangedEvent<ScoringMode> mode)
@@ -168,7 +168,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Scoring
 
                         // We can compute the max combo locally after the async beatmap difficulty computation.
                         difficultyBindable = difficulties().GetBindableDifficulty(score.Beatmap, score.Ruleset, score.Mods, (difficultyCancellationSource = new CancellationTokenSource()).Token);
-                        difficultyBindable.BindValueChanged(d => updateScore(d.NewValue.MaxCombo), true);
+                        difficultyBindable.BindValueChanged(d =>
+                        {
+                            if (d.NewValue is StarDifficulty diff)
+                                updateScore(diff.MaxCombo);
+                        }, true);
 
                         return;
                     }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapInfoWedge.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapInfoWedge.cs
index 86cb561bc7..3b3ed88ccb 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapInfoWedge.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapInfoWedge.cs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
         [Resolved]
         private BeatmapDifficultyCache difficultyCache { get; set; }
 
-        private IBindable<StarDifficulty> beatmapDifficulty;
+        private IBindable<StarDifficulty?> beatmapDifficulty;
 
         protected BufferedWedgeInfo Info;
 
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
                     return;
                 }
 
-                LoadComponentAsync(loadingInfo = new BufferedWedgeInfo(beatmap, ruleset.Value, beatmapDifficulty.Value)
+                LoadComponentAsync(loadingInfo = new BufferedWedgeInfo(beatmap, ruleset.Value, beatmapDifficulty.Value ?? new StarDifficulty())
                 {
                     Shear = -Shear,
                     Depth = Info?.Depth + 1 ?? 0
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/Carousel/DrawableCarouselBeatmap.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/Carousel/DrawableCarouselBeatmap.cs
index e66469ff8d..633ef9297e 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/Carousel/DrawableCarouselBeatmap.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/Carousel/DrawableCarouselBeatmap.cs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select.Carousel
         [Resolved(CanBeNull = true)]
         private ManageCollectionsDialog manageCollectionsDialog { get; set; }
 
-        private IBindable<StarDifficulty> starDifficultyBindable;
+        private IBindable<StarDifficulty?> starDifficultyBindable;
         private CancellationTokenSource starDifficultyCancellationSource;
 
         public DrawableCarouselBeatmap(CarouselBeatmap panel)
@@ -217,7 +217,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select.Carousel
             {
                 // We've potentially cancelled the computation above so a new bindable is required.
                 starDifficultyBindable = difficultyCache.GetBindableDifficulty(beatmap, (starDifficultyCancellationSource = new CancellationTokenSource()).Token);
-                starDifficultyBindable.BindValueChanged(d => starCounter.Current = (float)d.NewValue.Stars, true);
+                starDifficultyBindable.BindValueChanged(d =>
+                {
+                    starCounter.Current = (float)(d.NewValue?.Stars ?? 0);
+                }, true);
             }
 
             base.ApplyState();