diff --git a/application/src/main/java/org/opentripplanner/updater/vehicle_position/RealtimeVehiclePatternMatcher.java b/application/src/main/java/org/opentripplanner/updater/vehicle_position/RealtimeVehiclePatternMatcher.java
index ddcc5a64a4d..51d2cf82af7 100644
--- a/application/src/main/java/org/opentripplanner/updater/vehicle_position/RealtimeVehiclePatternMatcher.java
+++ b/application/src/main/java/org/opentripplanner/updater/vehicle_position/RealtimeVehiclePatternMatcher.java
@@ -146,12 +146,21 @@ private LocalDate inferServiceDate(Trip trip) {
    * {@see https://github.com/opentripplanner/OpenTripPlanner/issues/4058}
    */
   protected static LocalDate inferServiceDate(
-    TripTimes staticTripTimes,
+    TripTimes<?> staticTripTimes,
     ZoneId zoneId,
     Instant now
   ) {
-    var start = staticTripTimes.getScheduledDepartureTime(0);
-    var end = staticTripTimes.getScheduledDepartureTime(staticTripTimes.getNumStops() - 1);
+    int start;
+    int end;
+    if (staticTripTimes != null) {
+      start = staticTripTimes.getScheduledDepartureTime(0);
+      end = staticTripTimes.getScheduledDepartureTime(staticTripTimes.getNumStops() - 1);
+    } else {
+      // Create a fake trip starting at 6am and ending around midnight to make the logic below
+      // gravitate toward the most likely day, including late night trips past midnight.
+      start = (int) Duration.ofHours(6).toSeconds();
+      end = (int) Duration.ofHours(24).toSeconds();
+    }
 
     var today = now.atZone(zoneId).toLocalDate();
     var yesterday = today.minusDays(1);
diff --git a/application/src/test/java/org/opentripplanner/updater/vehicle_position/RealtimeVehicleMatcherTest.java b/application/src/test/java/org/opentripplanner/updater/vehicle_position/RealtimeVehicleMatcherTest.java
index 43507735f5b..4a71eb5016a 100644
--- a/application/src/test/java/org/opentripplanner/updater/vehicle_position/RealtimeVehicleMatcherTest.java
+++ b/application/src/test/java/org/opentripplanner/updater/vehicle_position/RealtimeVehicleMatcherTest.java
@@ -324,15 +324,18 @@ public void clearOldTrips() {
 
   static Stream<Arguments> inferenceTestCases() {
     return Stream.of(
-      Arguments.of("2022-04-05T15:26:04+02:00", "2022-04-05"),
-      Arguments.of("2022-04-06T00:26:04+02:00", "2022-04-05"),
-      Arguments.of("2022-04-06T10:26:04+02:00", "2022-04-06")
+      Arguments.of("2022-04-05T15:26:04+02:00", true, "2022-04-05"),
+      Arguments.of("2022-04-06T00:26:04+02:00", true, "2022-04-05"),
+      Arguments.of("2022-04-06T10:26:04+02:00", true, "2022-04-06"),
+      Arguments.of("2022-04-05T15:26:04+02:00", false, "2022-04-05"),
+      Arguments.of("2022-04-06T00:26:04+02:00", false, "2022-04-05"),
+      Arguments.of("2022-04-06T10:26:04+02:00", false, "2022-04-06")
     );
   }
 
-  @ParameterizedTest(name = "{0} should resolve to {1}")
+  @ParameterizedTest(name = "{0} + staticTripTimes included={1} should resolve to {2}")
   @MethodSource("inferenceTestCases")
-  void inferServiceDayOfTripAt6(String time, String expectedDate) {
+  void inferServiceDayOfTripAt6(String time, boolean hasTripTimes, String expectedDate) {
     var trip = TimetableRepositoryForTest.trip(tripId).build();
 
     var sixOclock = (int) Duration.ofHours(18).toSeconds();
@@ -346,7 +349,11 @@ void inferServiceDayOfTripAt6(String time, String expectedDate) {
     var tripTimes = TripTimesFactory.tripTimes(trip, stopTimes, new Deduplicator());
 
     var instant = OffsetDateTime.parse(time).toInstant();
-    var inferredDate = RealtimeVehiclePatternMatcher.inferServiceDate(tripTimes, zoneId, instant);
+    var inferredDate = RealtimeVehiclePatternMatcher.inferServiceDate(
+      hasStopTime ? tripTimes : null,
+      zoneId,
+      instant
+    );
 
     assertEquals(LocalDate.parse(expectedDate), inferredDate);
   }
@@ -373,6 +380,17 @@ void inferServiceDateCloseToMidnight() {
     assertEquals(LocalDate.parse("2022-04-04"), inferredDate);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void inferServiceDateCloseToMidnightIfNoStaticSchedule() {
+    var time = OffsetDateTime.parse("2022-04-05T00:04:00+02:00").toInstant();
+
+    // because the trip "crosses" midnight and we are already on the next day, we infer the service date to be
+    // yesterday
+    var inferredDate = RealtimeVehiclePatternMatcher.inferServiceDate(null, zoneId, time);
+
+    assertEquals(LocalDate.parse("2022-04-04"), inferredDate);
+  }
+
   private static TripPattern tripPattern(Trip trip, List<StopTime> stopTimes) {
     var stopPattern = new StopPattern(stopTimes);
     var pattern = TripPattern.of(trip.getId())