diff --git a/lib/ash/query/boolean_expression.ex b/lib/ash/query/boolean_expression.ex
index 5fbcf48b..eb572d6f 100644
--- a/lib/ash/query/boolean_expression.ex
+++ b/lib/ash/query/boolean_expression.ex
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@ defmodule Ash.Query.BooleanExpression do
   alias Ash.Query.Operator.{Eq, In, NotEq}
   alias Ash.Query.Ref
 
-  def new(_, nil, nil), do: nil
+  def new(_, nil, nil), do: false
   def new(:or, left, nil), do: left
   def new(:or, nil, right), do: right
-  def new(:and, _, nil), do: nil
-  def new(:and, nil, _), do: nil
+  def new(:and, _, nil), do: false
+  def new(:and, nil, _), do: false
 
   def new(op, left, right) do
     %__MODULE__{op: op, left: left, right: right}
@@ -24,17 +24,17 @@ defmodule Ash.Query.BooleanExpression do
   # statements where possible, which helps with authorization logic that leverages the query
   # For example, `x in [1, 2] or x == 3` becomes `x in [1, 2, 3]`, and `x in [1, 2, 3] and x != 1`
   # becomes `x in [2, 3]`
-  def optimized_new(_, nil, nil), do: nil
+  def optimized_new(_, nil, nil), do: false
   def optimized_new(:and, false, _), do: false
   def optimized_new(:and, _, false), do: false
+  def optimized_new(:and, nil, _), do: false
+  def optimized_new(:and, _, nil), do: false
+  def optimized_new(:and, true, right), do: right
+  def optimized_new(:and, left, true), do: left
   def optimized_new(:or, true, _), do: true
   def optimized_new(:or, _, true), do: true
   def optimized_new(:or, nil, right), do: right
   def optimized_new(:or, left, nil), do: left
-  def optimized_new(:and, true, right), do: right
-  def optimized_new(:and, left, true), do: left
-  def optimized_new(:and, nil, _), do: nil
-  def optimized_new(:and, _, nil), do: nil
 
   def optimized_new(
         op,