diff --git a/internal/concat.go b/internal/concat.go
index fd9b8abc5..5a461fcfd 100644
--- a/internal/concat.go
+++ b/internal/concat.go
@@ -137,18 +137,30 @@ func concatMaps(ms reflect.Value) (reflect.Value, error) {
 		vals := rms.MapIndex(key)
 
 		anyVals := vals.Interface().([]any)
-		if len(anyVals) == 1 {
-			ele := anyVals[0]
-			if ele == nil { // we cannot SetMapIndex with nil because it will delete the key
-				ret.SetMapIndex(key, reflect.Zero(typ.Elem()))
-				continue
+
+		// nil represents an absent/empty value for this key in a chunk.
+		// Filter nils out so concat is order-independent and toSliceValue
+		// never receives a nil element (reflect.TypeOf(nil) returns a nil
+		// reflect.Type, which makes reflect.SliceOf(nil) panic).
+		nonNil := make([]any, 0, len(anyVals))
+		for _, v := range anyVals {
+			if v != nil {
+				nonNil = append(nonNil, v)
 			}
+		}
 
-			ret.SetMapIndex(key, reflect.ValueOf(ele))
+		switch len(nonNil) {
+		case 0:
+			// all chunks had a nil value for this key; preserve the key with a zero value.
+			// we cannot SetMapIndex with nil because it will delete the key.
+			ret.SetMapIndex(key, reflect.Zero(typ.Elem()))
+			continue
+		case 1:
+			ret.SetMapIndex(key, reflect.ValueOf(nonNil[0]))
 			continue
 		}
 
-		v, err := toSliceValue(anyVals)
+		v, err := toSliceValue(nonNil)
 		if err != nil {
 			return reflect.Value{}, err
 		}
diff --git a/internal/concat_test.go b/internal/concat_test.go
index 12b4837bc..408821779 100644
--- a/internal/concat_test.go
+++ b/internal/concat_test.go
@@ -49,4 +49,62 @@ func TestConcat(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		}, m)
 	})
+
+	// nil and non-nil for the same key across chunks must concat order-
+	// independently and must never panic. See issue #1181.
+	t.Run("concat same key: nil then value does not panic", func(t *testing.T) {
+		m, err := ConcatItems([]map[string]any{
+			{"a": nil},
+			{"a": "str"},
+		})
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"a": "str"}, m)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("concat same key: value then nil is order-independent", func(t *testing.T) {
+		m, err := ConcatItems([]map[string]any{
+			{"a": "str"},
+			{"a": nil},
+		})
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"a": "str"}, m)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("concat same key: all nil preserves nil", func(t *testing.T) {
+		m, err := ConcatItems([]map[string]any{
+			{"a": nil},
+			{"a": nil},
+		})
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"a": nil}, m)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("concat same key: nil mixed with multiple non-nil strings", func(t *testing.T) {
+		m, err := ConcatItems([]map[string]any{
+			{"a": nil},
+			{"a": "foo"},
+			{"a": "bar"},
+			{"a": nil},
+		})
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"a": "foobar"}, m)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("concat same key: nested map with nil then value", func(t *testing.T) {
+		m, err := ConcatItems([]map[string]any{
+			{"a": map[string]any{"x": nil}},
+			{"a": map[string]any{"x": "v"}},
+		})
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"a": map[string]any{"x": "v"}}, m)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("concat same key: nested map all nil preserves nil", func(t *testing.T) {
+		m, err := ConcatItems([]map[string]any{
+			{"a": map[string]any{"x": nil}},
+			{"a": map[string]any{"x": nil}},
+		})
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"a": map[string]any{"x": nil}}, m)
+	})
 }