diff --git a/base/docs/Docs.jl b/base/docs/Docs.jl
index f4db13f828ed63..4d764ca5806c4f 100644
--- a/base/docs/Docs.jl
+++ b/base/docs/Docs.jl
@@ -161,11 +161,13 @@ end
 function docstr(binding::Binding, typesig = Union{})
     @nospecialize typesig
     for m in modules
-        dict = meta(m)
-        if haskey(dict, binding)
-            docs = dict[binding].docs
-            if haskey(docs, typesig)
-                return docs[typesig]
+        if isdefined(m, META) && getfield(m, META) !== nothing
+            dict = meta(m)
+            if haskey(dict, binding)
+                docs = dict[binding].docs
+                if haskey(docs, typesig)
+                    return docs[typesig]
+                end
             end
         end
     end
diff --git a/stdlib/REPL/src/docview.jl b/stdlib/REPL/src/docview.jl
index 24bbfc2e6282d4..617e0b8f6bfd35 100644
--- a/stdlib/REPL/src/docview.jl
+++ b/stdlib/REPL/src/docview.jl
@@ -164,12 +164,14 @@ function doc(binding::Binding, sig::Type = Union{})
     results, groups = DocStr[], MultiDoc[]
     # Lookup `binding` and `sig` for matches in all modules of the docsystem.
     for mod in modules
-        dict = meta(mod)
-        if haskey(dict, binding)
-            multidoc = dict[binding]
-            push!(groups, multidoc)
-            for msig in multidoc.order
-                sig <: msig && push!(results, multidoc.docs[msig])
+        if isdefined(mod, Docs.META) && getfield(mod, Docs.META) !== nothing
+            dict = meta(mod)
+            if haskey(dict, binding)
+                multidoc = dict[binding]
+                push!(groups, multidoc)
+                for msig in multidoc.order
+                    sig <: msig && push!(results, multidoc.docs[msig])
+                end
             end
         end
     end
@@ -565,14 +567,16 @@ Return documentation for a particular `field` of a type if it exists.
 """
 function fielddoc(binding::Binding, field::Symbol)
     for mod in modules
-        dict = meta(mod)
-        if haskey(dict, binding)
-            multidoc = dict[binding]
-            if haskey(multidoc.docs, Union{})
-                fields = multidoc.docs[Union{}].data[:fields]
-                if haskey(fields, field)
-                    doc = fields[field]
-                    return isa(doc, Markdown.MD) ? doc : Markdown.parse(doc)
+        if isdefined(mod, Docs.META) && getfield(mod, Docs.META) !== nothing
+            dict = meta(mod)
+            if haskey(dict, binding)
+                multidoc = dict[binding]
+                if haskey(multidoc.docs, Union{})
+                    fields = multidoc.docs[Union{}].data[:fields]
+                    if haskey(fields, field)
+                        doc = fields[field]
+                        return isa(doc, Markdown.MD) ? doc : Markdown.parse(doc)
+                    end
                 end
             end
         end
@@ -834,8 +838,10 @@ function apropos(io::IO, needle::Regex)
     for mod in modules
         # Module doc might be in README.md instead of the META dict
         docsearch(doc(mod), needle) && println(io, mod)
-        for (k, v) in meta(mod)
-            docsearch(v, needle) && println(io, k)
+        if isdefined(mod, Docs.META) && getfield(mod, Docs.META) !== nothing
+            for (k, v) in meta(mod)
+                docsearch(v, needle) && println(io, k)
+            end
         end
     end
 end