diff --git a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
index b28cc50c98..1a9e629ca2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
@@ -33,6 +33,23 @@ Notes:
 
 See the <<upgrade-to-v4>> guide.
 
+==== Unreleased
+
+[float]
+===== Breaking changes
+
+[float]
+===== Features
+
+[float]
+===== Bug fixes
+
+* Fix message handling for tombstone messages in `kafkajs` instrumentation.
+  ({pull}3985[#3985])
+
+[float]
+===== Chores
+
 [[release-notes-4.5.2]]
 ==== 4.5.2 - 2024/04/12
 
diff --git a/lib/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs.js b/lib/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs.js
index e0849412e4..8838f3dd64 100644
--- a/lib/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs.js
+++ b/lib/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs.js
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ module.exports = function (mod, agent, { version, enabled }) {
         config.captureBody === 'all' ||
         config.captureBody === 'transactions'
       ) {
-        messageCtx.body = message.value.toString();
+        messageCtx.body = message.value?.toString();
       }
 
       if (message.headers && config.captureHeaders) {
diff --git a/test/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs/fixtures/use-kafkajs-each-message.js b/test/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs/fixtures/use-kafkajs-each-message.js
index 1511caae66..0e2ad4e3b7 100644
--- a/test/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs/fixtures/use-kafkajs-each-message.js
+++ b/test/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs/fixtures/use-kafkajs-each-message.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ async function useKafkajsClient(kafkaClient, options) {
   let eachMessagesConsumed = 0;
   await consumer.run({
     eachMessage: async function ({ message }) {
-      log.info(`message received: ${message.value.toString()}`);
+      log.info(`message received: ${message.value?.toString()}`);
       eachMessagesConsumed++;
     },
   });
@@ -76,9 +76,14 @@ async function useKafkajsClient(kafkaClient, options) {
   data = await producer.send({
     topic,
     messages: [
-      { value: 'each message 1', headers: { foo: 'string' } },
-      { value: 'each message 2', headers: { foo: Buffer.from('buffer') } },
-      { value: 'each message 3', headers: { auth: 'this_is_a_secret' } },
+      { value: 'each message 1', headers: { foo: 'foo 1' } },
+      { value: 'each message 2', headers: { foo: Buffer.from('foo 2') } },
+      {
+        value: 'each message 3',
+        headers: { foo: 'foo 3', auth: 'this_is_a_secret' },
+      },
+      // https://github.com/elastic/apm-agent-nodejs/issues/3980
+      { value: null, headers: { foo: 'foo 4' } },
     ],
   });
   log.info({ data }, 'messages sent');
diff --git a/test/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs/kafkajs.test.js b/test/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs/kafkajs.test.js
index 206496efcc..c3f5fb12bc 100644
--- a/test/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs/kafkajs.test.js
+++ b/test/instrumentation/modules/kafkajs/kafkajs.test.js
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ const testFixtures = [
           message: {
             queue: { name: kafkaTopic },
             headers: {
-              foo: 'buffer',
+              foo: 'foo 1',
               traceparent: `00-${tx.trace_id}-${parentId}-01`,
               tracestate: 'es=s:1',
             },
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ const testFixtures = [
           message: {
             queue: { name: kafkaTopic },
             headers: {
-              foo: 'string',
+              foo: 'foo 2',
               traceparent: `00-${tx.trace_id}-${parentId}-01`,
               tracestate: 'es=s:1',
             },
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ const testFixtures = [
           message: {
             queue: { name: kafkaTopic },
             headers: {
+              foo: 'foo 3',
               auth: '[REDACTED]',
               traceparent: `00-${tx.trace_id}-${parentId}-01`,
               tracestate: 'es=s:1',
@@ -214,6 +215,23 @@ const testFixtures = [
         },
         outcome: 'success',
       });
+
+      t.deepEqual(transactions.shift(), {
+        name: `Kafka RECEIVE from ${kafkaTopic}`,
+        type: 'messaging',
+        context: {
+          service: {},
+          message: {
+            queue: { name: kafkaTopic },
+            headers: {
+              foo: 'foo 4',
+              traceparent: `00-${tx.trace_id}-${parentId}-01`,
+              tracestate: 'es=s:1',
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        outcome: 'success',
+      });
       t.equal(transactions.length, 0, 'all transactions accounted for');
     },
   },
@@ -665,6 +683,18 @@ const testFixtures = [
         },
         outcome: 'success',
       });
+
+      t.deepEqual(transactions.shift(), {
+        name: `Kafka RECEIVE from ${kafkaTopic}`,
+        type: 'messaging',
+        context: {
+          service: {},
+          message: {
+            queue: { name: kafkaTopic },
+          },
+        },
+        outcome: 'success',
+      });
       t.equal(transactions.length, 0, 'all transactions accounted for');
     },
   },