diff --git a/.changes/v1.16/BUG FIXES-20260516-153412.yaml b/.changes/v1.16/BUG FIXES-20260516-153412.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dc5503b170c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/v1.16/BUG FIXES-20260516-153412.yaml	
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+kind: BUG FIXES
+body: '`terraform query -generate-config-out` no longer panics when the resource state contains a null nested-type attribute (for example an undeclared `timeouts` block).'
+time: 2026-05-16T15:34:12+03:00
+custom:
+    Issue: "38569"
diff --git a/internal/genconfig/generate_config_test.go b/internal/genconfig/generate_config_test.go
index 328ba58de272..66b0bcaf0591 100644
--- a/internal/genconfig/generate_config_test.go
+++ b/internal/genconfig/generate_config_test.go
@@ -426,6 +426,113 @@ resource "tfcoremock_simple_resource" "empty" {
   list   = null
   map    = null
   single = null
+}`,
+		},
+		// Regression for #38569: when the list-resource flow asks
+		// genconfig to render a resource whose provider returned no
+		// state, the caller now passes the schema's empty value (a
+		// non-null object with null attributes and empty nested
+		// blocks) instead of a fully-null object. Make sure that input
+		// is rendered as well-formed HCL — equivalent to what
+		// "resource_with_nulls" produces for a hand-built null map.
+		"resource_with_empty_state": {
+			schema: &configschema.Block{
+				Attributes: map[string]*configschema.Attribute{
+					"id": {
+						Type:     cty.String,
+						Computed: true,
+					},
+					"value": {
+						Type:     cty.String,
+						Optional: true,
+					},
+					"single": {
+						NestedType: &configschema.Object{
+							Attributes: map[string]*configschema.Attribute{
+								"nested_id": {
+									Type:     cty.String,
+									Optional: true,
+								},
+							},
+							Nesting: configschema.NestingSingle,
+						},
+						Required: true,
+					},
+					"list": {
+						NestedType: &configschema.Object{
+							Attributes: map[string]*configschema.Attribute{
+								"nested_id": {
+									Type:     cty.String,
+									Optional: true,
+								},
+							},
+							Nesting: configschema.NestingList,
+						},
+						Required: true,
+					},
+					"map": {
+						NestedType: &configschema.Object{
+							Attributes: map[string]*configschema.Attribute{
+								"nested_id": {
+									Type:     cty.String,
+									Optional: true,
+								},
+							},
+							Nesting: configschema.NestingMap,
+						},
+						Required: true,
+					},
+				},
+				BlockTypes: map[string]*configschema.NestedBlock{
+					"nested_single": {
+						Nesting: configschema.NestingSingle,
+						Block: configschema.Block{
+							Attributes: map[string]*configschema.Attribute{
+								"nested_id": {
+									Type:     cty.String,
+									Optional: true,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			addr: addrs.AbsResourceInstance{
+				Module: nil,
+				Resource: addrs.ResourceInstance{
+					Resource: addrs.Resource{
+						Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
+						Type: "tfcoremock_simple_resource",
+						Name: "empty",
+					},
+					Key: nil,
+				},
+			},
+			provider: addrs.LocalProviderConfig{
+				LocalName: "tfcoremock",
+			},
+			value: cty.ObjectVal(map[string]cty.Value{
+				"id":    cty.NullVal(cty.String),
+				"value": cty.NullVal(cty.String),
+				"single": cty.NullVal(cty.Object(map[string]cty.Type{
+					"nested_id": cty.String,
+				})),
+				"list": cty.NullVal(cty.List(cty.Object(map[string]cty.Type{
+					"nested_id": cty.String,
+				}))),
+				"map": cty.NullVal(cty.Map(cty.Object(map[string]cty.Type{
+					"nested_id": cty.String,
+				}))),
+				"nested_single": cty.NullVal(cty.Object(map[string]cty.Type{
+					"nested_id": cty.String,
+				})),
+			}),
+			expected: `
+resource "tfcoremock_simple_resource" "empty" {
+  list   = null
+  map    = null
+  single = null
+  value  = null
 }`,
 		},
 		"simple_resource_with_stringified_json_object": {
diff --git a/internal/terraform/node_resource_plan_instance.go b/internal/terraform/node_resource_plan_instance.go
index 41dfe0f59533..ade122d8495d 100644
--- a/internal/terraform/node_resource_plan_instance.go
+++ b/internal/terraform/node_resource_plan_instance.go
@@ -984,11 +984,17 @@ func (n *NodePlannableResourceInstance) generateHCLListResourceDef(ctx EvalConte
 	iter := state.ElementIterator()
 	for iter.Next() {
 		_, val := iter.Element()
-		// we still need to generate the resource block even if the state is not given,
-		// so that the import block can reference it.
-		stateVal := cty.NullVal(schema.Body.ImpliedType())
+		// We still need to generate the resource block even if the state is
+		// not given, so that the import block can reference it. Use the
+		// schema's empty value (a non-null object with null attributes)
+		// rather than a null object: downstream genconfig assumes the
+		// parent value is non-null when descending into nested-type
+		// attributes, and a fully null value would panic. See issue #38569.
+		stateVal := schema.Body.EmptyValue()
 		if val.Type().HasAttribute("state") {
-			stateVal = val.GetAttr("state")
+			if s := val.GetAttr("state"); !s.IsNull() {
+				stateVal = s
+			}
 		}
 
 		config, genDiags := n.generateResourceConfig(ctx, stateVal)