diff --git a/packages/strapi-utils/lib/__tests__/sanitize-entity.test.js b/packages/strapi-utils/lib/__tests__/sanitize-entity.test.js
index 6cdd860991..3e79d1c371 100644
--- a/packages/strapi-utils/lib/__tests__/sanitize-entity.test.js
+++ b/packages/strapi-utils/lib/__tests__/sanitize-entity.test.js
@@ -290,9 +290,14 @@ describe('Sanitize Entity', () => {
   });
 
   describe('Edge cases', () => {
-    test('It returns data if the model is nil', () => {
-      expect(sanitizeEntity(input, { model: null })).toEqual(input);
-      expect(sanitizeEntity(input, { model: undefined })).toEqual(input);
+    test('It returns the input data if the model is nil and isOutput false', () => {
+      expect(sanitizeEntity(input, { model: null, isOutput: false })).toEqual(input);
+      expect(sanitizeEntity(input, { model: undefined, isOutput: false })).toEqual(input);
+    });
+
+    test('It returns null if the model is nil and isOutput true', () => {
+      expect(sanitizeEntity(input, { model: null })).toBeNull();
+      expect(sanitizeEntity(input, { model: undefined })).toBeNull();
     });
 
     test(`It returns the input data as-is if it's not an object or an array`, () => {
diff --git a/packages/strapi-utils/lib/sanitize-entity.js b/packages/strapi-utils/lib/sanitize-entity.js
index f537043b1a..7574af7d82 100644
--- a/packages/strapi-utils/lib/sanitize-entity.js
+++ b/packages/strapi-utils/lib/sanitize-entity.js
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ const sanitizeEntity = (dataSource, options) => {
   }
 
   if (_.isNil(model)) {
-    return data;
+    if (isOutput) {
+      return null;
+    } else {
+      return data;
+    }
   }
 
   const { attributes } = model;