diff --git a/ipld/car/v2/reader.go b/ipld/car/v2/reader.go
index db8f82105..2f7cbb18e 100644
--- a/ipld/car/v2/reader.go
+++ b/ipld/car/v2/reader.go
@@ -113,10 +113,10 @@ func (r *Reader) DataReader() SectionReader {
 // present. Otherwise, returns nil.
 // Note, this function will always return nil if the backing payload represents a CARv1.
 func (r *Reader) IndexReader() io.Reader {
-	if r.Version == 2 {
-		return internalio.NewOffsetReadSeeker(r.r, int64(r.Header.IndexOffset))
+	if r.Version == 1 || !r.Header.HasIndex() {
+		return nil
 	}
-	return nil
+	return internalio.NewOffsetReadSeeker(r.r, int64(r.Header.IndexOffset))
 }
 
 // Close closes the underlying reader if it was opened by OpenReader.
diff --git a/ipld/car/v2/reader_test.go b/ipld/car/v2/reader_test.go
index 02906f1a8..a0c6e3cda 100644
--- a/ipld/car/v2/reader_test.go
+++ b/ipld/car/v2/reader_test.go
@@ -212,6 +212,30 @@ func TestOpenReader_DoesNotPanicForReadersCreatedAfterClosure(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NotPanics(t, func() { panicTest(iReaderAfterClosure) })
 }
 
+func TestReader_ReturnsNilWhenThereIsNoIndex(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		path string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "IndexlessCarV2",
+			path: "testdata/sample-v2-indexless.car",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "CarV1",
+			path: "testdata/sample-v1.car",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			subject, err := carv2.OpenReader(tt.path)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			t.Cleanup(func() { require.NoError(t, subject.Close()) })
+			require.Nil(t, subject.IndexReader())
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func requireNewCarV1ReaderFromV2File(t *testing.T, carV12Path string, zerLenAsEOF bool) *carv1.CarReader {
 	f, err := os.Open(carV12Path)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/ipld/car/v2/testdata/sample-v2-indexless.car b/ipld/car/v2/testdata/sample-v2-indexless.car
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3b160b6fa
Binary files /dev/null and b/ipld/car/v2/testdata/sample-v2-indexless.car differ