diff --git a/singer_sdk/streams/sql.py b/singer_sdk/streams/sql.py
index e605471dc5..f235455162 100644
--- a/singer_sdk/streams/sql.py
+++ b/singer_sdk/streams/sql.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 import abc
 import typing as t
 
+from sqlalchemy import nulls_first
+
 import singer_sdk.helpers._catalog as catalog
 from singer_sdk._singerlib import CatalogEntry, MetadataMapping
 from singer_sdk.connectors import SQLConnector
@@ -189,7 +191,7 @@ def get_records(self, context: dict | None) -> t.Iterable[dict[str, t.Any]]:
 
         if self.replication_key:
             replication_key_col = table.columns[self.replication_key]
-            query = query.order_by(replication_key_col)
+            query = query.order_by(nulls_first(replication_key_col))
 
             start_val = self.get_starting_replication_key_value(context)
             if start_val: