diff --git a/src/main/java/graphql/ExecutionInput.java b/src/main/java/graphql/ExecutionInput.java
index fa2ffe21ad..f2da73f034 100644
--- a/src/main/java/graphql/ExecutionInput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/graphql/ExecutionInput.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import graphql.collect.ImmutableKit;
 import graphql.execution.ExecutionId;
 import graphql.execution.RawVariables;
+import graphql.execution.preparsed.persisted.PersistedQuerySupport;
 import org.dataloader.DataLoaderRegistry;
 
 import java.util.Locale;
@@ -31,10 +32,19 @@ public class ExecutionInput {
     private final Locale locale;
     private final AtomicBoolean cancelled;
 
+    /**
+     * In order for {@link #getQuery()} to never be null, use this to mark
+     * them so that invariant can be satisfied while assuming that the persisted query
+     * id is elsewhere.
+     */
+    public final static String PERSISTED_QUERY_MARKER = PersistedQuerySupport.PERSISTED_QUERY_MARKER;
+
+    private final static String APOLLO_AUTOMATIC_PERSISTED_QUERY_EXTENSION = "persistedQuery";
+
 
     @Internal
     private ExecutionInput(Builder builder) {
-        this.query = assertNotNull(builder.query, () -> "query can't be null");
+        this.query = assertQuery(builder);
         this.operationName = builder.operationName;
         this.context = builder.context;
         this.graphQLContext = assertNotNull(builder.graphQLContext);
@@ -48,6 +58,30 @@ private ExecutionInput(Builder builder) {
         this.cancelled = builder.cancelled;
     }
 
+    private static String assertQuery(Builder builder) {
+        if ((builder.query == null || builder.query.isEmpty()) && isPersistedQuery(builder)) {
+            return PERSISTED_QUERY_MARKER;
+        }
+
+        return assertNotNull(builder.query, () -> "query can't be null");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This is used to determine if this execution input is a persisted query or not.
+     *
+     * @implNote The current implementation supports Apollo Persisted Queries (APQ) by checking for
+     * the extensions property for the persisted query extension.
+     * See <a href="https://www.apollographql.com/docs/apollo-server/performance/apq/">Apollo Persisted Queries</a> for more details.
+     *
+     * @param builder the builder to check
+     *
+     * @return true if this is a persisted query
+     */
+    private static boolean isPersistedQuery(Builder builder) {
+        return builder.extensions != null &&
+                builder.extensions.containsKey(APOLLO_AUTOMATIC_PERSISTED_QUERY_EXTENSION);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return the query text
      */
@@ -252,7 +286,7 @@ GraphQLContext graphQLContext() {
         }
 
         public Builder query(String query) {
-            this.query = assertNotNull(query, () -> "query can't be null");
+            this.query = query;
             return this;
         }
 
@@ -312,7 +346,7 @@ public Builder context(Object context) {
             return this;
         }
 
-         /**
+        /**
          * This will give you a builder of {@link GraphQLContext} and any values you set will be copied
          * into the underlying {@link GraphQLContext} of this execution input
          *
@@ -393,4 +427,4 @@ public ExecutionInput build() {
             return new ExecutionInput(this);
         }
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/graphql/ExecutionInputTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/graphql/ExecutionInputTest.groovy
index 54ff68d735..23c06ea9c7 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/graphql/ExecutionInputTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/graphql/ExecutionInputTest.groovy
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import graphql.execution.instrumentation.InstrumentationState
 import graphql.execution.instrumentation.parameters.InstrumentationExecutionStrategyParameters
 import graphql.execution.instrumentation.parameters.InstrumentationFieldCompleteParameters
 import graphql.execution.instrumentation.parameters.InstrumentationFieldParameters
+import graphql.execution.preparsed.persisted.PersistedQuerySupport
 import graphql.schema.DataFetcher
 import graphql.schema.DataFetchingEnvironment
 import org.dataloader.DataLoaderRegistry
@@ -45,6 +46,21 @@ class ExecutionInputTest extends Specification {
         executionInput.query == query
         executionInput.locale == Locale.GERMAN
         executionInput.extensions == [some: "map"]
+        executionInput.toString() != null
+    }
+
+    def "build without locale"() {
+        when:
+        def executionInput = ExecutionInput.newExecutionInput().query(query)
+                .dataLoaderRegistry(registry)
+                .variables(variables)
+                .root(root)
+                .graphQLContext({ it.of(["a": "b"]) })
+                .locale(null)
+                .extensions([some: "map"])
+                .build()
+        then:
+        executionInput.locale == Locale.getDefault()
     }
 
     def "map context build works"() {
@@ -314,6 +330,33 @@ class ExecutionInputTest extends Specification {
         "1000 ms" | plusOrMinus(1000)
     }
 
+    def "uses persisted query marker when query is null"() {
+        when:
+        ExecutionInput.newExecutionInput().query(null).build()
+        then:
+        thrown(AssertException)
+    }
+
+    def "uses persisted query marker when query is null and extensions contains persistedQuery"() {
+        when:
+        def executionInput = ExecutionInput.newExecutionInput()
+                .extensions([persistedQuery: "any"])
+                .query(null)
+                .build()
+        then:
+        executionInput.query == PersistedQuerySupport.PERSISTED_QUERY_MARKER
+    }
+
+    def "uses persisted query marker when query is empty and extensions contains persistedQuery"() {
+        when:
+        def executionInput = ExecutionInput.newExecutionInput()
+                .extensions([persistedQuery: "any"])
+                .query("")
+                .build()
+        then:
+        executionInput.query == PersistedQuerySupport.PERSISTED_QUERY_MARKER
+    }
+
     def "can cancel at specific places"() {
         def sdl = '''
             type Query {