diff --git a/pkg/op/token_exchange.go b/pkg/op/token_exchange.go
index f8dc0f84..08b3a9d6 100644
--- a/pkg/op/token_exchange.go
+++ b/pkg/op/token_exchange.go
@@ -311,7 +311,11 @@ func GetTokenIDAndSubjectFromToken(
 		if !ok {
 			break
 		}
-		claims = accessTokenClaims.Claims
+		// opaque access tokens carry no JWT claims, so accessTokenClaims can be
+		// nil even when ok is true. Leave claims empty instead of dereferencing.
+		if accessTokenClaims != nil {
+			claims = accessTokenClaims.Claims
+		}
 	case oidc.RefreshTokenType:
 		refreshTokenRequest, err := exchanger.Storage().TokenRequestByRefreshToken(ctx, token)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/op/token_exchange_test.go b/pkg/op/token_exchange_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..be3946a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/op/token_exchange_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package op_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/zitadel/oidc/v3/pkg/oidc"
+	"github.com/zitadel/oidc/v3/pkg/op"
+)
+
+func TestGetTokenIDAndSubjectFromToken_OpaqueAccessToken(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	// Opaque access tokens are stored as the encrypted string "tokenID:subject"
+	// and have no JWT claims attached. This used to panic because the returned
+	// claims pointer was dereferenced unconditionally.
+	token, err := testProvider.Crypto().Encrypt("tokenID:subject")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var (
+		tokenIDOrToken, subject string
+		claims                  map[string]any
+		ok                      bool
+	)
+	require.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		tokenIDOrToken, subject, claims, ok = op.GetTokenIDAndSubjectFromToken(ctx, testProvider, token, oidc.AccessTokenType, false)
+	})
+
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+	assert.Equal(t, "tokenID", tokenIDOrToken)
+	assert.Equal(t, "subject", subject)
+	assert.Empty(t, claims)
+}