diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/patmat/Space.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/patmat/Space.scala
index 7410d617c4a0..1ee402deded0 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/patmat/Space.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/patmat/Space.scala
@@ -337,13 +337,6 @@ object SpaceEngine {
     case pat: Ident if isBackquoted(pat) =>
       Typ(pat.tpe, decomposed = false)
 
-    case Ident(nme.WILDCARD) =>
-      val tp = pat.tpe.stripAnnots.widenSkolem
-      val isNullable = tp.isInstanceOf[FlexibleType] || tp.classSymbol.isNullableClass
-      val tpSpace = Typ(erase(tp, isValue = true), decomposed = false)
-      if isNullable then Or(tpSpace :: nullSpace :: Nil)
-      else tpSpace
-
     case Ident(_) | Select(_, _) =>
       Typ(erase(pat.tpe.stripAnnots.widenSkolem, isValue = true), decomposed = false)
 
@@ -716,7 +709,6 @@ object SpaceEngine {
           else NoType
         }.filter(_.exists)
         parts
-      case tp: FlexibleType => List(tp.underlying, ConstantType(Constant(null)))
       case _ => ListOfNoType
     end rec
 
@@ -939,11 +931,15 @@ object SpaceEngine {
       then project(OrType(selTyp, ConstantType(Constant(null)), soft = false))
       else project(selTyp)
     var hadNullOnly = false
+    def projectPat(pat: Tree): Space =
+      // Project toplevel wildcard pattern to nullable
+      if isNullable && isWildcardArg(pat) then Or(project(pat) :: nullSpace :: Nil)
+      else project(pat)
     @tailrec def recur(cases: List[CaseDef], prevs: List[Space], deferred: List[Tree]): Unit =
       cases match
         case Nil =>
         case CaseDef(pat, guard, _) :: rest =>
-          val curr = trace(i"project($pat)")(project(pat))
+          val curr = trace(i"project($pat)")(projectPat(pat))
           val covered = trace("covered")(simplify(intersect(curr, targetSpace)))
           val prev = trace("prev")(simplify(Or(prevs)))
           if prev == Empty && covered == Empty then // defer until a case is reachable
diff --git a/tests/patmat/i12530.check b/tests/patmat/i12530.check
index b0605bcd95e5..636347516cbc 100644
--- a/tests/patmat/i12530.check
+++ b/tests/patmat/i12530.check
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 6: Match case Unreachable
+14: Match case Unreachable
diff --git a/tests/patmat/null.check b/tests/patmat/null.check
index da081e6b56c0..3b860ddfd850 100644
--- a/tests/patmat/null.check
+++ b/tests/patmat/null.check
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 6: Match case Unreachable
 13: Pattern Match
-18: Match case Unreachable
 20: Pattern Match
+21: Match case Unreachable
diff --git a/tests/patmat/null.scala b/tests/patmat/null.scala
index b918109c0cc5..9cff29a5c4e8 100644
--- a/tests/patmat/null.scala
+++ b/tests/patmat/null.scala
@@ -18,5 +18,6 @@ class Test {
     case Some(null)     =>
     case None           =>
     case y              =>
+    case _              =>
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/warn/i20121.scala b/tests/warn/i20121.scala
index b8402fa808ac..ce8e3e4d74f6 100644
--- a/tests/warn/i20121.scala
+++ b/tests/warn/i20121.scala
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ case class CC_B[A](a: A) extends T_A[A, X]
 
 val v_a: T_A[X, X] = CC_B(null)
 val v_b = v_a match
-  case CC_B(_) => 0
-  case _       => 1 // warn: null only
+  case CC_B(_) => 0 // warn: unreachable
+  case _       => 1
     // for CC_B[A] to match T_A[X, X]
     // A := X
     // so require X, aka T_A[Byte, Byte]
diff --git a/tests/warn/i20122.scala b/tests/warn/i20122.scala
index d035a18d3b09..50da42a5926c 100644
--- a/tests/warn/i20122.scala
+++ b/tests/warn/i20122.scala
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ case class CC_E(a: CC_C[Char, Byte])
 
 val v_a: T_B[Int, CC_A] = CC_B(CC_E(CC_C(null)))
 val v_b = v_a match
-  case CC_B(CC_E(CC_C(_))) => 0
+  case CC_B(CC_E(CC_C(_))) => 0 // warn: unreachable
   case _                   => 1
     // for CC_B[A, C] to match T_B[C, CC_A]
     // C <: Int, ok
diff --git a/tests/warn/i20123.scala b/tests/warn/i20123.scala
index 0af7aba5a3a5..32de903210b2 100644
--- a/tests/warn/i20123.scala
+++ b/tests/warn/i20123.scala
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ case class CC_G[A, C](c: C) extends T_A[A, C]
 val v_a: T_A[Boolean, T_B[Boolean]] = CC_G(null)
 val v_b = v_a match {
   case CC_D()  => 0
-  case CC_G(_) => 1
+  case CC_G(_) => 1 // warn: unreachable
     // for CC_G[A, C] to match T_A[Boolean, T_B[Boolean]]
     // A := Boolean, which is ok
     // C := T_B[Boolean],