diff --git a/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php b/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
index c007ffed4d..3a3fd2a6cc 100644
--- a/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
+++ b/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
@@ -751,9 +751,9 @@ function get_term( $term, $taxonomy = '', $output = OBJECT, $filter = 'raw' ) {
 		// If there are two terms with the same ID, split the other one to a new term.
 		$new_term_id = _split_shared_term( $_term->term_id, $_term->term_taxonomy_id );
 
-		// If no split occurred, this is an invalid request.
+		// If no split occurred, this is an invalid request. Return null (not WP_Error) for back compat.
 		if ( $new_term_id === $_term->term_id ) {
-			return new WP_Error( 'invalid_term', __( 'Empty Term' ) );
+			return null;
 
 		// The term has been split. Refetch the term from the proper taxonomy.
 		} else {
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 8bc9fc8fd4..5d78c6c7b8 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '4.4-alpha-35226';
+$wp_version = '4.4-alpha-35227';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.