diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/runtime-optional-guards.test.ts b/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/runtime-optional-guards.test.ts
index f0724df504..653cc3abc4 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/runtime-optional-guards.test.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/runtime-optional-guards.test.ts
@@ -143,3 +143,34 @@ test("a call that never returns exits like a throw", () => {
   // Without the checker's answer a call is an ordinary statement.
   expect(proofs(body)).toEqual([false, false, false]);
 });
+
+test("a call in an optional chain does not exit, whatever its type", () => {
+  // Every call named `fail` has type never; `?.` skips the call when its
+  // receiver or callee is missing, so the statement completes.
+  const neverReturns = (call: ts.CallExpression): boolean => {
+    const callee = call.expression;
+    const name = ts.isIdentifier(callee)
+      ? callee.text
+      : ts.isPropertyAccessExpression(callee)
+        ? callee.name.text
+        : "";
+    return name === "fail";
+  };
+  const body = `function f(x: string, maybe: { fail(m: string): never }) {
+      if (x === undefined) maybe?.fail("missing");
+      use(x);
+    }
+    function g(x: string) {
+      if (x === undefined) { this.helper?.fail("missing"); }
+      use(x);
+    }
+    function h(x: string, fail: (m: string) => never) {
+      if (x === undefined) fail?.("missing");
+      use(x);
+    }
+    function i(x: string, maybe: { fail(m: string): never }) {
+      if (x === undefined) maybe!.fail("missing");
+      use(x);
+    }`;
+  expect(proofs(body, neverReturns)).toEqual([false, false, false, true]);
+});
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/runtime-optional-guards.ts b/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/runtime-optional-guards.ts
index 0b8a33a5f5..50b175c716 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/runtime-optional-guards.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/runtime-optional-guards.ts
@@ -292,6 +292,24 @@ function statementProvesPresence(statement: ts.Statement, bindings: PresenceBind
   return false;
 }
 
+/** Whether `call`, or a call or access its callee is made of, uses `?.`: a
+ * missing receiver or callee then ends the chain without making the call,
+ * whatever type the checker gives it. */
+function inOptionalChain(call: ts.CallExpression): boolean {
+  let e: ts.Expression = call;
+  for (;;) {
+    if (
+      ts.isCallExpression(e) ||
+      ts.isPropertyAccessExpression(e) ||
+      ts.isElementAccessExpression(e)
+    ) {
+      if (e.questionDotToken !== undefined) return true;
+      e = e.expression;
+    } else if (ts.isNonNullExpression(e) || ts.isParenthesizedExpression(e)) e = e.expression;
+    else return false;
+  }
+}
+
 /** The statement never completes normally: its last reachable statement
  * returns, throws, breaks, continues, or calls a function that never
  * returns. */
@@ -306,7 +324,7 @@ function exitsAbruptly(statement: ts.Statement, bindings: PresenceBindings): boo
   if (ts.isExpressionStatement(statement)) {
     let e = statement.expression;
     while (ts.isParenthesizedExpression(e)) e = e.expression;
-    return ts.isCallExpression(e) && bindings.neverReturns?.(e) === true;
+    return ts.isCallExpression(e) && !inOptionalChain(e) && bindings.neverReturns?.(e) === true;
   }
   if (ts.isBlock(statement)) {
     // A labeled statement inside could be the target of an inner break,
diff --git a/tests/corpus/never-returning-presence-guard.ts b/tests/corpus/never-returning-presence-guard.ts
index 21eee14b76..e1509758ab 100644
--- a/tests/corpus/never-returning-presence-guard.ts
+++ b/tests/corpus/never-returning-presence-guard.ts
@@ -44,3 +44,19 @@ try {
 } catch (error) {
   if (error instanceof Error) console.log(error.message);
 }
+
+// Behind `?.`, a missing reporter skips the call, so the read after it can
+// still be undefined.
+class Reporter {
+  fail(what: string): never {
+    throw new Error(what);
+  }
+}
+const reporters: Reporter[] = [];
+function maybeWord(index: number): string {
+  const known = words[index];
+  if (known === undefined) reporters[index]?.fail(`no word at ${index}`);
+  return known;
+}
+const missing = maybeWord(7);
+console.log(maybeWord(1), missing === undefined, typeof missing);