diff --git a/cpp/src/stream_compaction/distinct_count.cu b/cpp/src/stream_compaction/distinct_count.cu
index 7185dae77b7..f6037ea7785 100644
--- a/cpp/src/stream_compaction/distinct_count.cu
+++ b/cpp/src/stream_compaction/distinct_count.cu
@@ -150,15 +150,23 @@ cudf::size_type distinct_count(table_view const& keys,
       stream.value()};
 
     auto const iter = thrust::counting_iterator<cudf::size_type>(0);
-    // when nulls are equal, insert non-null rows only to improve efficiency
+    // when nulls are equal, only insert those rows that are not all null to improve efficiency
     if (nulls_equal == null_equality::EQUAL and has_nulls) {
       thrust::counting_iterator<size_type> stencil(0);
+      // We must consider a row if any of its column entries is valid,
+      // hence OR together the validities of the columns.
       auto const [row_bitmask, null_count] =
         cudf::detail::bitmask_or(keys, stream, rmm::mr::get_current_device_resource());
-      row_validity pred{static_cast<bitmask_type const*>(row_bitmask.data())};
 
-      return key_set.insert_if(iter, iter + num_rows, stencil, pred, stream.value()) +
-             static_cast<cudf::size_type>(null_count > 0);
+      // Unless all columns have a null mask, row_bitmask will be
+      // null, and null_count will be zero. Equally, unless there is
+      // some row which is null in all columns, null_count will be
+      // zero. So, it is only when null_count is not zero that we need
+      // to do a filtered insertion.
+      if (null_count > 0) {
+        row_validity pred{static_cast<bitmask_type const*>(row_bitmask.data())};
+        return key_set.insert_if(iter, iter + num_rows, stencil, pred, stream.value()) + 1;
+      }
     }
     // otherwise, insert all
     return key_set.insert(iter, iter + num_rows, stream.value());
diff --git a/cpp/tests/stream_compaction/distinct_count_tests.cpp b/cpp/tests/stream_compaction/distinct_count_tests.cpp
index e80244cee41..864ac8f84c6 100644
--- a/cpp/tests/stream_compaction/distinct_count_tests.cpp
+++ b/cpp/tests/stream_compaction/distinct_count_tests.cpp
@@ -274,6 +274,16 @@ TEST_F(DistinctCount, TableWithNull)
   EXPECT_EQ(10, cudf::distinct_count(input, null_equality::UNEQUAL));
 }
 
+TEST_F(DistinctCount, TableWithSomeNull)
+{
+  cudf::test::fixed_width_column_wrapper<int32_t> col1{{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, {1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0}};
+  cudf::test::fixed_width_column_wrapper<int32_t> col2{{1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1}};
+  cudf::table_view input{{col1, col2}};
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(4, cudf::distinct_count(input, null_equality::EQUAL));
+  EXPECT_EQ(6, cudf::distinct_count(input, null_equality::UNEQUAL));
+}
+
 TEST_F(DistinctCount, EmptyColumnedTable)
 {
   std::vector<cudf::column_view> cols{};