diff --git a/.changeset/breezy-tomatoes-sing.md b/.changeset/breezy-tomatoes-sing.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..72994c5a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/breezy-tomatoes-sing.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@urql/exchange-graphcache': minor
+---
+
+Allow @_required directive to be used in combination with configured schemas
diff --git a/exchanges/graphcache/src/cacheExchange.test.ts b/exchanges/graphcache/src/cacheExchange.test.ts
index 832d32f63..cda29dc2b 100644
--- a/exchanges/graphcache/src/cacheExchange.test.ts
+++ b/exchanges/graphcache/src/cacheExchange.test.ts
@@ -1544,6 +1544,71 @@ describe('directives', () => {
     expect(reexecuteOperation).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
     expect(result.mock.calls[0][0].data).toEqual(null);
   });
+
+  it('does not return missing fields when nullable fields from a defined schema are marked as required in the query', () => {
+    const client = createClient({
+      url: 'http://0.0.0.0',
+      exchanges: [],
+    });
+    const { source: ops$, next } = makeSubject<Operation>();
+
+    const query = gql`
+      {
+        latestTodo {
+          id
+          text
+          completed @_required
+        }
+      }
+    `;
+
+    const operation = client.createRequestOperation('query', {
+      key: 1,
+      query,
+      variables: undefined,
+    });
+
+    const queryResult: OperationResult = {
+      ...queryResponse,
+      operation,
+      data: {
+        __typename: 'Query',
+        latestTodo: [
+          {
+            id: '1',
+            text: 'learn urql',
+            completed: null,
+            __typename: 'Todo',
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    };
+
+    const response = vi.fn((forwardOp: Operation): OperationResult => {
+      if (forwardOp.key === 1) return queryResult;
+      return undefined as any;
+    });
+
+    const result = vi.fn();
+    const forward: ExchangeIO = ops$ => pipe(ops$, map(response), share);
+
+    pipe(
+      cacheExchange({
+        schema: minifyIntrospectionQuery(
+          // eslint-disable-next-line
+          require('./test-utils/simple_schema.json')
+        ),
+      })({ forward, client, dispatchDebug })(ops$),
+      tap(result),
+      publish
+    );
+
+    next(operation);
+
+    console.log(result.mock.calls[0][0])
+
+    expect(result.mock.calls[0][0].data).toEqual(null);
+  });
 });
 
 describe('optimistic updates', () => {
diff --git a/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/query.ts b/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/query.ts
index 54b9c5cd5..3ad90a2ec 100644
--- a/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/query.ts
+++ b/exchanges/graphcache/src/operations/query.ts
@@ -534,7 +534,8 @@ const readSelection = (
       (directives.optional ||
         (optionalRef && !directives.required) ||
         !!getFieldError(ctx) ||
-        (!directives.required && store.schema &&
+        (!directives.required &&
+          store.schema &&
           isFieldNullable(store.schema, typename, fieldName, ctx.store.logger)))
     ) {
       // The field is uncached or has errored, so it'll be set to null and skipped