diff --git a/src/tools/fuzzing.h b/src/tools/fuzzing.h
index 63f399f949f..82a9f86b0a4 100644
--- a/src/tools/fuzzing.h
+++ b/src/tools/fuzzing.h
@@ -483,6 +483,7 @@ class TranslateToFuzzReader {
   Expression* makeArrayBulkMemoryOp(Type type);
   Expression* makeI31Get(Type type);
   Expression* makeThrow(Type type);
+  Expression* makeThrowRef(Type type);
 
   Expression* makeMemoryInit();
   Expression* makeDataDrop();
diff --git a/src/tools/fuzzing/fuzzing.cpp b/src/tools/fuzzing/fuzzing.cpp
index 11fa12d5ba8..bc981a49f53 100644
--- a/src/tools/fuzzing/fuzzing.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/fuzzing/fuzzing.cpp
@@ -1992,7 +1992,7 @@ Expression* TranslateToFuzzReader::_makeunreachable() {
          &Self::makeSwitch,
          &Self::makeDrop,
          &Self::makeReturn)
-    .add(FeatureSet::ExceptionHandling, &Self::makeThrow)
+    .add(FeatureSet::ExceptionHandling, &Self::makeThrow, &Self::makeThrowRef)
     .add(FeatureSet::ReferenceTypes | FeatureSet::GC, &Self::makeCallRef);
   return (this->*pick(options))(Type::unreachable);
 }
@@ -3250,12 +3250,17 @@ Expression* TranslateToFuzzReader::makeBasicRef(Type type) {
       return builder.makeArrayNewFixed(ht, {});
     }
     case HeapType::exn: {
-      auto null = builder.makeRefNull(HeapTypes::exn.getBasic(share));
-      if (!type.isNullable()) {
-        assert(funcContext);
-        return builder.makeRefAs(RefAsNonNull, null);
+      // If nullable, we can emit a null. If not, generate an exnref using a
+      // throw in a try_table.
+      if (type.isNullable() && oneIn(2)) {
+        return builder.makeRefNull(HeapTypes::exn.getBasic(share));
       }
-      return null;
+
+      // Make a catch_all_ref to a block.
+      auto* throww = makeThrow(Type::unreachable);
+      auto label = makeLabel();
+      auto* tryy = builder.makeTryTable(throww, {Name()}, {label}, {true});
+      return builder.makeBlock(label, tryy);
     }
     case HeapType::string: {
       // In non-function contexts all we can do is string.const.
@@ -4809,6 +4814,15 @@ Expression* TranslateToFuzzReader::makeThrow(Type type) {
   return builder.makeThrow(tag, operands);
 }
 
+Expression* TranslateToFuzzReader::makeThrowRef(Type type) {
+  assert(type == Type::unreachable);
+  // Use a nullable type here to avoid the risk of trapping (when we find no way
+  // to make a non-nullable ref, we end up fixing validation with
+  // ref.as_non_null of a null, which validates but traps).
+  auto* ref = make(Type(HeapType::exn, Nullable));
+  return builder.makeThrowRef(ref);
+}
+
 Expression* TranslateToFuzzReader::makeMemoryInit() {
   if (!allowMemory) {
     return makeTrivial(Type::none);