diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/PublishedCache/NuCache/ContentCache.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/PublishedCache/NuCache/ContentCache.cs
index c7661a3f28..0341d2dcf5 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/PublishedCache/NuCache/ContentCache.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/PublishedCache/NuCache/ContentCache.cs
@@ -148,6 +148,11 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.PublishedCache.NuCache
             while (hasDomains == false && n != null) // n is null at root
             {
                 var urlName = n.GetUrlName(_localizationService, culture);
+                if (urlName == null)
+                {
+                    //we cannot continue, it will be null if the item is not published
+                    return null;
+                }
 
                 pathParts.Add(urlName);
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/PublishedContentExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/PublishedContentExtensions.cs
index e4a3a85d13..a33b8f283a 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/PublishedContentExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/PublishedContentExtensions.cs
@@ -1243,11 +1243,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web
                 if (cultureCode != null && content.CultureNames.TryGetValue(cultureCode, out var cultureName))
                 {
                     return cultureName.UrlName;
-                }
+                }
+                //there is no name for the specified culture (unpublished perhaps)
+                return null;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                //the content type is invariant
+                return content.UrlName;
             }
-
-            //if we get here, the content type is invariant or we don't have access to a usable culture code
-            return content.UrlName;
         }
 
         #endregion
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Routing/PublishedRouter.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Routing/PublishedRouter.cs
index f85d2d6c28..add9c4ad3b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Routing/PublishedRouter.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Routing/PublishedRouter.cs
@@ -266,10 +266,27 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Routing
             _logger.Debug<PublishedRouter>(() => $"{tracePrefix}Uri=\"{request.Uri}\"");
 
             var domainsCache = request.UmbracoContext.PublishedSnapshot.Domains;
+            var domains = domainsCache.GetAll(includeWildcards: false).ToList();
+            var contentForDomains = new Dictionary<int, IPublishedContent>();
+            //filter the domains to ensure that any referenced content is actually published
+            domains = domains.Where(x =>
+            {
+                //get or look up the content assigned
+                if (!contentForDomains.TryGetValue(x.ContentId, out var contentForDomain))
+                {
+                    contentForDomain = request.UmbracoContext.PublishedSnapshot.Content.GetById(x.ContentId);
+                    contentForDomains[x.ContentId] = contentForDomain;
+                }
 
-            //get the domains but filter to ensure that any referenced content is actually published
-            var domains = domainsCache.GetAll(includeWildcards: false)
-                .Where(x => request.UmbracoContext.PublishedSnapshot.Content.GetById(x.ContentId) != null);
+                //definitely not published
+                if (contentForDomain == null)
+                    return false;
+                //invariant so no need to check variations
+                if (!contentForDomain.ContentType.Variations.Has(ContentVariation.CultureNeutral))
+                    return true;
+                //variant so ensure the culture name exists
+                return contentForDomain.CultureNames.ContainsKey(x.Culture.Name);
+            }).ToList();
 
             var defaultCulture = domainsCache.DefaultCulture;