diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 811bafbb9..6c3210121 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 1.18.1 (28 Jun 2021)
+
+Bugfixes:
+* [#974][]: Fix nil dereference in logger constructed by `zap.NewNop`.
+
+[#974]: https://github.com/uber-go/zap/pull/974
+
 ## 1.18.0 (28 Jun 2021)
 
 Enhancements:
diff --git a/logger.go b/logger.go
index c6ab4b0ef..f116bd936 100644
--- a/logger.go
+++ b/logger.go
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ func NewNop() *Logger {
 		core:        zapcore.NewNopCore(),
 		errorOutput: zapcore.AddSync(ioutil.Discard),
 		addStack:    zapcore.FatalLevel + 1,
+		clock:       zapcore.DefaultClock,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/logger_test.go b/logger_test.go
index 0fb0600e7..edc7d3dec 100644
--- a/logger_test.go
+++ b/logger_test.go
@@ -556,7 +556,6 @@ func TestLoggerCustomOnFatal(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.msg, func(t *testing.T) {
 			withLogger(t, InfoLevel, opts(OnFatal(tt.onFatal)), func(logger *Logger, logs *observer.ObservedLogs) {
-
 				var finished bool
 				recovered := make(chan interface{})
 				go func() {
@@ -580,6 +579,27 @@ func TestLoggerCustomOnFatal(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNopLogger(t *testing.T) {
+	logger := NewNop()
+
+	t.Run("basic levels", func(t *testing.T) {
+		logger.Debug("foo", String("k", "v"))
+		logger.Info("bar", Int("x", 42))
+		logger.Warn("baz", Strings("ks", []string{"a", "b"}))
+		logger.Error("qux", Error(errors.New("great sadness")))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("DPanic", func(t *testing.T) {
+		logger.With(String("component", "whatever")).DPanic("stuff")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Panic", func(t *testing.T) {
+		assert.Panics(t, func() {
+			logger.Panic("great sadness")
+		}, "Nop logger should still cause panics.")
+	})
+}
+
 func infoLog(logger *Logger, msg string, fields ...Field) {
 	logger.Info(msg, fields...)
 }