diff --git a/src/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php b/src/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
index c007ffed4d..3a3fd2a6cc 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
@@ -751,9 +751,9 @@ function get_term( $term, $taxonomy = '', $output = OBJECT, $filter = 'raw' ) {
 		// If there are two terms with the same ID, split the other one to a new term.
 		$new_term_id = _split_shared_term( $_term->term_id, $_term->term_taxonomy_id );
 
-		// If no split occurred, this is an invalid request.
+		// If no split occurred, this is an invalid request. Return null (not WP_Error) for back compat.
 		if ( $new_term_id === $_term->term_id ) {
-			return new WP_Error( 'invalid_term', __( 'Empty Term' ) );
+			return null;
 
 		// The term has been split. Refetch the term from the proper taxonomy.
 		} else {
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerm.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerm.php
index 481627c463..1a6f8fd63d 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerm.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerm.php
@@ -106,4 +106,12 @@ class Tests_Term_GetTerm extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertInternalType( 'int', $found->count );
 		$this->assertInternalType( 'int', $found->term_group );
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 34332
+	 */
+	 public function test_should_return_null_when_provided_taxonomy_does_not_match_actual_term_taxonomy() {
+		$term_id = self::$factory->term->create( array( 'taxonomy' => 'post_tag' ) );
+		$this->assertNull( get_term( $term_id, 'category' ) );
+	}
 }