diff --git a/src/wp-includes/capabilities.php b/src/wp-includes/capabilities.php
index f40345deb9..13851cc2e1 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/capabilities.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/capabilities.php
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ function map_meta_cap( $cap, $user_id ) {
 
 			case 'term':
 				$term = get_term( $object_id );
-				if ( ! $term ) {
+				if ( ! $term instanceof WP_Term ) {
 					break;
 				}
 
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/capabilities.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/capabilities.php
index 2070a64fa4..2dffd25c9f 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/capabilities.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/capabilities.php
@@ -1353,6 +1353,27 @@ class Tests_User_Capabilities extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 40891
+	 */
+	public function test_taxonomy_meta_capabilities_with_non_existent_terms() {
+		$caps = array(
+			'add_term_meta',
+			'delete_term_meta',
+			'edit_term_meta',
+		);
+
+		$taxonomy = 'wptests_tax';
+		register_taxonomy( $taxonomy, 'post' );
+
+		$editor = self::$users['editor'];
+
+		foreach ( $caps as $cap ) {
+			// `null` represents a non-existent term ID.
+			$this->assertFalse( user_can( $editor->ID, $cap, null ) );
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 21786
 	 */