diff --git a/src/database.ts b/src/database.ts
index 381af8e74..fcbb7d451 100644
--- a/src/database.ts
+++ b/src/database.ts
@@ -2095,7 +2095,7 @@ class Database extends common.GrpcServiceObject {
         ? (optionsOrCallback as TimestampBounds)
         : {};
 
-    if ('maxStaleness' in options || 'minReadTimestamp' in options) {
+    if (options !=null && (options['maxStaleness'] != null || options['minReadTimestamp'] != null)) {
       const error = Object.assign(
         new Error(
           'maxStaleness / minReadTimestamp is not supported for multi-use read-only transactions.'
diff --git a/test/database.ts b/test/database.ts
index a3eaf82d7..4f15fc93a 100644
--- a/test/database.ts
+++ b/test/database.ts
@@ -2331,6 +2331,15 @@ describe('Database', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should pass when maxStaleness is undefined', () => {
+      const fakeTimestampBounds = {minReadTimestamp: undefined};
+
+      database.getSnapshot(fakeTimestampBounds, assert.ifError);
+
+      const bounds = snapshotStub.lastCall.args[0];
+      assert.strictEqual(bounds, fakeTimestampBounds);
+    });
+
     it('should begin a snapshot', () => {
       beginSnapshotStub.callsFake(() => {});