diff --git a/src/wp-includes/option.php b/src/wp-includes/option.php
index 8bd6a1821162e..a2779651d2e6f 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/option.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/option.php
@@ -1464,7 +1464,9 @@ function get_transient( $transient ) {
 				$transient_timeout = '_transient_timeout_' . $transient;
 				wp_prime_option_caches( array( $transient_option, $transient_timeout ) );
 				$timeout = get_option( $transient_timeout );
-				if ( false !== $timeout && $timeout < time() ) {
+				if ( false === $timeout ) {
+					$value = false;
+				} elseif ( $timeout < time() ) {
 					delete_option( $transient_option );
 					delete_option( $transient_timeout );
 					$value = false;
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/option/transient.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/option/transient.php
index d4f6c6ce43ae9..034973d9bc6ae 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/option/transient.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/option/transient.php
@@ -265,4 +265,23 @@ public function test_nonexistent_key_old_timeout() {
 		);
 		$this->assertSame( $expected, $a->get_events() );
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure get_transient() returns false when the transient timeout option is missing (broken transient).
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 33561
+	 *
+	 * @covers ::get_transient
+	 */
+	public function test_get_transient_returns_false_when_timeout_is_missing() {
+		$key   = 'test_transient_broken';
+		$value = 'test_value';
+
+		set_transient( $key, $value, 60 * 10 );
+		$this->assertSame( $value, get_transient( $key ) );
+
+		delete_option( '_transient_timeout_' . $key );
+
+		$this->assertFalse( get_transient( $key ) );
+	}
 }