diff --git a/src/AutoMapper/QueryableExtensions/ProjectionBuilder.cs b/src/AutoMapper/QueryableExtensions/ProjectionBuilder.cs
index 590a25de2e..fd08dd7c41 100644
--- a/src/AutoMapper/QueryableExtensions/ProjectionBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/AutoMapper/QueryableExtensions/ProjectionBuilder.cs
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ private QueryExpressions CreateProjection(ProjectionRequest request)
     private (TypeMap, TypeMap[]) GetPolymorphicMaps(in ProjectionRequest request)
     {
         var typeMap = _configuration.ResolveTypeMap(request.SourceType, request.DestinationType) ?? throw TypeMap.MissingMapException(request.SourceType, request.DestinationType);
-        return (typeMap, _configuration.GetIncludedTypeMaps(typeMap.IncludedDerivedTypes.Where(tp => tp.SourceType != typeMap.SourceType).DistinctBy(tp => tp.SourceType).ToArray()));
+        return (typeMap, _configuration.GetIncludedTypeMaps(typeMap.IncludedDerivedTypes
+            .Where(tp => tp.SourceType != typeMap.SourceType && !tp.DestinationType.IsAbstract).DistinctBy(tp => tp.SourceType).ToArray()));
     }
     public QueryExpressions CreateProjection(in ProjectionRequest request, LetPropertyMaps letPropertyMaps)
     {
@@ -64,7 +65,9 @@ public QueryExpressions CreateProjection(in ProjectionRequest request, LetProper
     QueryExpressions CreateProjection(in ProjectionRequest request, LetPropertyMaps letPropertyMaps, TypeMap typeMap, TypeMap[] polymorphicMaps)
     {
         var instanceParameter = Parameter(request.SourceType, "dto" + request.SourceType.Name);
-        var projection = CreateProjectionCore(request, instanceParameter, typeMap, letPropertyMaps);
+        var destinationType = typeMap.DestinationType;
+        var projection = polymorphicMaps.Length > 0 && destinationType.IsAbstract ? 
+            Default(destinationType) : CreateProjectionCore(request, instanceParameter, typeMap, letPropertyMaps);
         foreach(var derivedMap in polymorphicMaps)
         {
             var sourceType = derivedMap.SourceType;
diff --git a/src/IntegrationTests/Inheritance/ProjectToAbstractTypeWithInheritance.cs b/src/IntegrationTests/Inheritance/ProjectToAbstractTypeWithInheritance.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c8535a29e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/IntegrationTests/Inheritance/ProjectToAbstractTypeWithInheritance.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+namespace AutoMapper.IntegrationTests.Inheritance;
+
+public class ProjectToAbstractTypeWithInheritance : IntegrationTest<ProjectToAbstractTypeWithInheritance.DatabaseInitializer>
+{
+    public class StepGroup
+    {
+        public int Id { get; set; }
+        public string Name { get; set; }
+        public virtual List<Step> Steps { get; set; } = new();
+    }
+    public abstract class Step
+    {
+        public int Id { get; set; }
+        public string Name { get; set; }
+        public int StepGroupId { get; set; }
+        public virtual StepGroup StepGroup { get; set; }
+    }
+    public class CheckingStep : Step { }
+    public class InstructionStep : Step { }
+    public abstract class AbstractStep : Step { }
+
+    public class StepGroupModel
+    {
+        public int Id { get; set; }
+        public string Name { get; set; }
+        public List<StepModel> Steps { get; set; } = new();
+    }
+    public abstract class StepModel
+    {
+        public int Id { get; set; }
+        public string Name { get; set; }
+    }
+    public class CheckingStepModel : StepModel { }
+    public class InstructionStepModel : StepModel { }
+    public abstract class AbstractStepModel : StepModel { }
+
+    public class Context : LocalDbContext
+    {
+        public DbSet<StepGroup> StepGroups { get; set; }
+
+        public DbSet<Step> Steps { get; set; }
+
+        public DbSet<CheckingStep> CheckingSteps { get; set; }
+
+        public DbSet<InstructionStep> InstructionSteps { get; set; }
+
+        protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
+        {
+            modelBuilder.Entity<Step>(entity =>
+            {
+                entity.HasOne(d => d.StepGroup).WithMany(p => p.Steps)
+                    .HasForeignKey(d => d.StepGroupId);
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
+    protected override MapperConfiguration CreateConfiguration()
+    {
+        return new MapperConfiguration(cfg =>
+        {
+            cfg.CreateMap<StepGroup, StepGroupModel>();
+            cfg.CreateMap<Step, StepModel>();
+            cfg.CreateMap<CheckingStep, CheckingStepModel>()
+                .IncludeBase<Step, StepModel>();
+            cfg.CreateMap<InstructionStep, InstructionStepModel>()
+                .IncludeBase<Step, StepModel>();
+            cfg.CreateMap<AbstractStep, AbstractStepModel>()
+                .IncludeBase<Step, StepModel>();
+        });
+    }
+
+    public class DatabaseInitializer : DropCreateDatabaseAlways<Context>
+    {
+        protected override void Seed(Context context)
+        {
+            context.StepGroups.Add(new StepGroup
+            {
+                Name = "StepGroup",
+                Steps = new List<Step>
+                {
+                    new InstructionStep
+                    {
+                        Name = "InstructionStep"
+                    },
+                    new CheckingStep
+                    {
+                        Name = "CheckingStep"
+                    }
+                }
+            });
+
+            base.Seed(context);
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ProjectCollectionWithElementInheritingAbstractClass()
+    {
+        using var context = new Context();
+        var steps = ProjectTo<StepGroupModel>(context.StepGroups).Single().Steps;
+        steps[0].ShouldBeOfType<CheckingStepModel>().Name.ShouldBe("CheckingStep");
+        steps[1].ShouldBeOfType<InstructionStepModel>().Name.ShouldBe("InstructionStep");
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file