diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/NumberDeserializers.java b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/NumberDeserializers.java
index d6a6589c9a..2eba63bdc3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/NumberDeserializers.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/NumberDeserializers.java
@@ -314,8 +314,8 @@ protected Byte _parseByte(DeserializationContext ctxt, JsonParser p)
                     return (Byte) getEmptyValue(ctxt);
                 }
                 return p.getByteValue();
-            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL:
-                return (Byte) _coerceNullToken(ctxt, false);
+            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL: // null fine for non-primitive
+                return (Byte) getNullValue(ctxt);
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_INT:
                 return p.getByteValue();
             case JsonTokenId.ID_START_ARRAY:
@@ -392,8 +392,8 @@ protected Short _parseShort(DeserializationContext ctxt, JsonParser p)
                     return (Short) getEmptyValue(ctxt);
                 }
                 return p.getShortValue();
-            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL:
-                return (Short) _coerceNullToken(ctxt, false);
+            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL: // null fine for non-primitive
+                return (Short) getNullValue(ctxt);
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_INT:
                 return p.getShortValue();
             case JsonTokenId.ID_START_ARRAY:
@@ -455,7 +455,10 @@ public Character deserialize(JsonParser p, DeserializationContext ctxt)
                 }
                 break;
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL:
-                return (Character) _coerceNullToken(ctxt, _primitive);
+                if (_primitive) {
+                    _verifyNullForPrimitive(ctxt);
+                }
+                return (Character) getNullValue(ctxt);
             case JsonTokenId.ID_START_ARRAY:
                 return _deserializeFromArray(p, ctxt);
             default:
@@ -553,8 +556,8 @@ protected final Integer _parseInteger(DeserializationContext ctxt, JsonParser p)
                 return p.getValueAsInt();
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_INT: // NOTE: caller assumed to check in fast path
                 return p.getIntValue();
-            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL:
-                return (Integer) _coerceNullToken(ctxt, false);
+            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL: // null fine for non-primitive
+                return (Integer) getNullValue(ctxt);
             case JsonTokenId.ID_START_ARRAY:
                 return (Integer) _deserializeFromArray(p, ctxt);
             }
@@ -624,8 +627,8 @@ protected final Long _parseLong(DeserializationContext ctxt, JsonParser p)
                     return (Long) getEmptyValue(ctxt);
                 }
                 return p.getValueAsLong();
-            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL:
-                return (Long) _coerceNullToken(ctxt, false);
+            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL: // null fine for non-primitive
+                return (Long) getNullValue(ctxt);
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_INT:
                 return p.getLongValue();
             case JsonTokenId.ID_START_ARRAY:
@@ -701,8 +704,8 @@ protected final Float _parseFloat(JsonParser p, DeserializationContext ctxt)
                 } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) { }
                 return (Float) ctxt.handleWeirdStringValue(_valueClass, text,
                         "not a valid Float value");
-            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL:
-                return (Float) _coerceNullToken(ctxt, _primitive);
+            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL: // null fine for non-primitive
+                return (Float) getNullValue(ctxt);
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_FLOAT:
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_INT: // safe coercion
                 return p.getFloatValue();
@@ -792,8 +795,8 @@ protected final Double _parseDouble(JsonParser p, DeserializationContext ctxt) t
                 } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) { }
                 return (Double) ctxt.handleWeirdStringValue(_valueClass, text,
                         "not a valid Double value");
-            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL:
-                return (Double) _coerceNullToken(ctxt, _primitive);
+            case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL: // null fine for non-primitive
+                return (Double) getNullValue(ctxt);
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_FLOAT:
             case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_INT: // safe coercion
                 return p.getDoubleValue();
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/StdDeserializer.java b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/StdDeserializer.java
index 9dc7f73112..1512921282 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/StdDeserializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/deser/std/StdDeserializer.java
@@ -431,15 +431,6 @@ protected final Boolean _parseBoolean(DeserializationContext ctxt,
         throws IOException
     {
         switch (p.currentTokenId()) {
-        case JsonTokenId.ID_TRUE:
-            return true;
-        case JsonTokenId.ID_FALSE:
-            return false;
-        case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL:
-            return (Boolean) _coerceNullToken(ctxt, false);
-        case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_INT:
-            // may accept ints too, (0 == false, otherwise true)
-            return _coerceBooleanFromInt(ctxt, p, targetType);
         case JsonTokenId.ID_STRING:
             String text = p.getText();
             CoercionAction act = _checkFromStringCoercion(ctxt, text,
@@ -463,6 +454,15 @@ protected final Boolean _parseBoolean(DeserializationContext ctxt,
             }
             return (Boolean) ctxt.handleWeirdStringValue(_valueClass, text,
                     "only \"true\" or \"false\" recognized");
+        case JsonTokenId.ID_TRUE:
+            return true;
+        case JsonTokenId.ID_FALSE:
+            return false;
+        case JsonTokenId.ID_NULL: // null fine for non-primitive
+            return (Boolean) getNullValue(ctxt);
+        case JsonTokenId.ID_NUMBER_INT:
+            // may accept ints too, (0 == false, otherwise true)
+            return _coerceBooleanFromInt(ctxt, p, targetType);
         case JsonTokenId.ID_START_ARRAY: // unwrapping / from-empty-array coercion?
             return (Boolean) _deserializeFromArray(p, ctxt);
         }
@@ -1211,20 +1211,6 @@ protected Object _coerceIntegral(JsonParser p, DeserializationContext ctxt) thro
         return p.getNumberValue(); // should be optimal, whatever it is
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Method to call when JSON `null` token is encountered. Note: only called when
-     * this deserializer encounters it but NOT when reached via property
-     *
-     * @since 2.9
-     */
-    protected Object _coerceNullToken(DeserializationContext ctxt, boolean isPrimitive) throws JsonMappingException
-    {
-        if (isPrimitive) {
-            _verifyNullForPrimitive(ctxt);
-        }
-        return getNullValue(ctxt);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Method called when JSON String with value "null" is encountered.
      *
@@ -1389,6 +1375,15 @@ protected void _verifyNumberForScalarCoercion(DeserializationContext ctxt, JsonP
         }
     }
 
+    @Deprecated // since 2.12
+    protected Object _coerceNullToken(DeserializationContext ctxt, boolean isPrimitive) throws JsonMappingException
+    {
+        if (isPrimitive) {
+            _verifyNullForPrimitive(ctxt);
+        }
+        return getNullValue(ctxt);
+    }
+
     /*
     /****************************************************
     /* Helper methods for sub-classes, resolving dependencies