diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e56d2723..98500a5d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 ## 0.1.2-SNAPSHOT
 
+### `reitit-core`
+
+* Better handling of `nil` routes - they filtered away from route syntax before routes are expanded:
+
+```clj
+(testing "nil routes are allowed ans stripped"
+  (is (= [] (r/routes (r/router nil))))
+  (is (= [] (r/routes (r/router [nil [nil] [[nil nil nil]]]))))
+  (is (= [["/ping" {} nil]] (r/routes (r/router [nil [nil] ["/ping"]]))))
+  (is (= [["/ping" {} nil]] (r/routes (r/router [[[nil [nil] ["/ping"]]]])))))
+```
+
 ### `reitit-schema`
 
 * updated dependencies:
diff --git a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/core.cljc b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/core.cljc
index 35d2c87b..3a98393e 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/core.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/core.cljc
@@ -37,16 +37,17 @@
     [(walk-many [p m r]
        (reduce #(into %1 (walk-one p m %2)) [] r))
      (walk-one [pacc macc routes]
-       (if (vector? (first routes))
-         (walk-many pacc macc routes)
-         (let [[path & [maybe-arg :as args]] routes
-               [data childs] (if (vector? maybe-arg)
-                               [{} args]
-                               [maybe-arg (rest args)])
-               macc (into macc (expand data opts))]
-           (if (seq childs)
-             (walk-many (str pacc path) macc childs)
-             [[(str pacc path) macc]]))))]
+       (if-let [routes (seq (keep identity routes))]
+         (if (vector? (first routes))
+           (walk-many pacc macc routes)
+           (let [[path & [maybe-arg :as args]] routes
+                 [data childs] (if (vector? maybe-arg)
+                                 [{} args]
+                                 [maybe-arg (rest args)])
+                 macc (into macc (expand data opts))]
+             (if (seq childs)
+               (walk-many (str pacc path) macc childs)
+               [[(str pacc path) macc]])))))]
     (walk-one path (mapv identity data) raw-routes)))
 
 (defn map-data [f routes]
@@ -87,10 +88,10 @@
       (conflicts-str conflicts)
       {:conflicts conflicts})))
 
-(defn name-lookup [[_ {:keys [name]}] opts]
+(defn name-lookup [[_ {:keys [name]}] _]
   (if name #{name}))
 
-(defn find-names [routes opts]
+(defn find-names [routes _]
   (into [] (keep #(-> % second :name)) routes))
 
 (defn- compile-route [[p m :as route] {:keys [compile] :as opts}]
diff --git a/test/cljc/reitit/core_test.cljc b/test/cljc/reitit/core_test.cljc
index e8144e75..f5d23bc4 100644
--- a/test/cljc/reitit/core_test.cljc
+++ b/test/cljc/reitit/core_test.cljc
@@ -108,6 +108,12 @@
       r/segment-router :segment-router
       r/mixed-router :mixed-router))
 
+  (testing "nil routes are allowed ans stripped"
+    (is (= [] (r/routes (r/router nil))))
+    (is (= [] (r/routes (r/router [nil [nil] [[nil nil nil]]]))))
+    (is (= [["/ping" {} nil]] (r/routes (r/router [nil [nil] ["/ping"]]))))
+    (is (= [["/ping" {} nil]] (r/routes (r/router [[[nil [nil] ["/ping"]]]])))))
+
   (testing "route coercion & compilation"
 
     (testing "custom compile"