diff --git a/cql3/statements/modification_statement.cc b/cql3/statements/modification_statement.cc
index 65e3cf8395..bfef68c4c9 100644
--- a/cql3/statements/modification_statement.cc
+++ b/cql3/statements/modification_statement.cc
@@ -139,7 +139,13 @@ modification_statement::get_mutations(service::storage_proxy& proxy, const query
     auto cl = options.get_consistency();
     auto json_cache = maybe_prepare_json_cache(options);
     auto keys = build_partition_keys(options, json_cache);
+    if (keys.empty()) {
+        throw exceptions::invalid_request_exception("Invalid partition key in a modification statement");
+    }
     auto ranges = create_clustering_ranges(options, json_cache);
+    if (ranges.empty() && !type.is_delete() /* DELETE is allowed on empty ranges (TODO: but not on WHERE ck=NULL).*/) {
+        throw exceptions::invalid_request_exception("Invalid clustering key in a modification statement");
+    }
     auto f = make_ready_future<update_parameters::prefetch_data>(s);
 
     if (is_counter()) {
diff --git a/test/cql-pytest/cassandra_tests/validation/entities/frozen_collections_test.py b/test/cql-pytest/cassandra_tests/validation/entities/frozen_collections_test.py
index a98aeab606..a64f8ea0e9 100644
--- a/test/cql-pytest/cassandra_tests/validation/entities/frozen_collections_test.py
+++ b/test/cql-pytest/cassandra_tests/validation/entities/frozen_collections_test.py
@@ -86,15 +86,12 @@ def do_test_partition_key_usage(cql, test_keyspace, typ, v1, v2, v3, v4):
                    [v2, 0],
                    [v4, 0])
 
-@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="fails just because of null key, issue #7852")
 def test_partition_key_usage_set(cql, test_keyspace):
     do_test_partition_key_usage(cql, test_keyspace, "set<int>", set(), {1, 2, 3}, {4, 5, 6}, {7, 8, 9})
 
-@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="fails just because of null key, issue #7852")
 def test_partition_key_usage_list(cql, test_keyspace):
     do_test_partition_key_usage(cql, test_keyspace, "list<int>", [], [1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9])
 
-@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="fails just because of null key, issue #7852")
 def test_partition_key_usage_map(cql, test_keyspace):
     do_test_partition_key_usage(cql, test_keyspace, "map<int, int>", {}, {1: 10, 2: 20, 3: 30}, {4: 40, 5: 50, 6: 60}, {7: 70, 8: 80, 9: 90})
 
diff --git a/test/cql-pytest/test_null.py b/test/cql-pytest/test_null.py
index 8d2ab8f7da..5bcc1f0922 100644
--- a/test/cql-pytest/test_null.py
+++ b/test/cql-pytest/test_null.py
@@ -48,20 +48,19 @@ def test_insert_missing_key(cql, table1):
 
 # A null key, like a missing one, is also not allowed.
 # This reproduces issue #7852.
-@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="issue #7852")
 def test_insert_null_key(cql, table1):
     s = random_string()
-    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match='null value'):
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match=re.compile('Invalid (null|clustering)')):
         cql.execute(f"INSERT INTO {table1} (p,c) VALUES ('{s}', null)")
-    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match='null value'):
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match=re.compile('Invalid (null|partition)')):
         cql.execute(f"INSERT INTO {table1} (p,c) VALUES (null, '{s}')")
     # Try the same thing with prepared statement, where a "None" stands for
     # a null. Note that this is completely different from UNSET_VALUE - only
     # with the latter should the insertion be ignored.
     stmt = cql.prepare(f"INSERT INTO {table1} (p,c) VALUES (?, ?)")
-    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match='null value'):
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match=re.compile('Invalid (null|clustering)')):
         cql.execute(stmt, [s, None])
-    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match='null value'):
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match=re.compile('Invalid (null|partition)')):
         cql.execute(stmt, [None, s])
 
 def test_primary_key_in_null(cql, table1):
@@ -80,3 +79,18 @@ def test_regular_column_in_null(scylla_only, cql, table1):
     cql.execute(f"INSERT INTO {table1} (p,c) VALUES ('p', 'c')")
     with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match='null value'):
         cql.execute(cql.prepare(f"SELECT v FROM {table1} WHERE v IN ? ALLOW FILTERING"), [None])
+
+# Though nonsensical, this operation is allowed by Cassandra.  Ensure we allow it, too.
+def test_delete_impossible_clustering_range(cql, table1):
+    cql.execute(f"DELETE FROM {table1} WHERE p='p' and c<'a' and c>'a'")
+
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="Unimplemented for clustering key")
+def test_delete_null_key(cql, table1):
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match=re.compile('Invalid (null|partition)')):
+        cql.execute(f"DELETE FROM {table1} WHERE p=null")
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match=re.compile('Invalid (null|partition)')):
+        cql.execute(cql.prepare(f"DELETE FROM {table1} WHERE p=?"), [None])
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match=re.compile('Invalid (null|clustering)')):
+        cql.execute(f"DELETE FROM {table1} WHERE p='p' AND c=null")
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidRequest, match=re.compile('Invalid (null|clustering)')):
+        cql.execute(cql.prepare(f"DELETE FROM {table1} WHERE p='p' AND c=?"), [None])