AutoMapper ProjectTo throws NullReferenceException on combined queries with EFCore - entity-framework-core

Question

I am in the process of consolidating queries to minimize the number of SQL round trips.
For results with Skip Take there seems to be a problem with the ProjectTo method of the AutoMapper.
Works:
var totalUsers = await _dbContext.UserAccounts.CountAsync(cancellationToken);
var users = await _dbContext.UserAccounts
.Skip(skip).Take(take)
.ProjectTo<UserProjection>(_mapper.ConfigurationProvider)
.ToListAsync(cancellationToken);
Throws a NullReferenceException:
// query
var query = from _ in _dbContext.UserAccounts
select new
{
TotalUserCount = _dbContext.UserAccounts.Count(),
Users = _dbContext.UserAccounts
.Skip(skip).Take(take)
.ProjectTo<UserProjection>(_mapper.ConfigurationProvider)
.ToList()
};
var result = await query.FirstOrDefaultAsync(cancellationToken);
Stack:
NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.SqlExpressions.SelectExpression.AddCollectionProjection(ShapedQueryExpression shapedQueryExpression, INavigation navigation, Type elementType)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.RelationalProjectionBindingExpressionVisitor.Visit(Expression expression)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.RelationalProjectionBindingExpressionVisitor.VisitNew(NewExpression newExpression)
System.Linq.Expressions.NewExpression.Accept(ExpressionVisitor visitor)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.RelationalProjectionBindingExpressionVisitor.Visit(Expression expression)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.RelationalProjectionBindingExpressionVisitor.Translate(SelectExpression selectExpression, Expression expression)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.RelationalQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.TranslateSelect(ShapedQueryExpression source, LambdaExpression selector)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.QueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.VisitMethodCall(MethodCallExpression methodCallExpression)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.RelationalQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.VisitMethodCall(MethodCallExpression methodCallExpression)
System.Linq.Expressions.MethodCallExpression.Accept(ExpressionVisitor visitor)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.QueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.VisitMethodCall(MethodCallExpression methodCallExpression)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.RelationalQueryableMethodTranslatingExpressionVisitor.VisitMethodCall(MethodCallExpression methodCallExpression)
System.Linq.Expressions.MethodCallExpression.Accept(ExpressionVisitor visitor)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.QueryCompilationContext.CreateQueryExecutor(Expression query)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Storage.Database.CompileQuery(Expression query, bool async)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.QueryCompiler.CompileQueryCore(IDatabase database, Expression query, IModel model, bool async)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.QueryCompiler+<>c__DisplayClass12_0.b__0()
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.CompiledQueryCache.GetOrAddQueryCore(object cacheKey, Func> compiler)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.CompiledQueryCache.GetOrAddQuery(object cacheKey, Func> compiler)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.QueryCompiler.ExecuteAsync(Expression query, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query.Internal.EntityQueryProvider.ExecuteAsync(Expression expression, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.EntityFrameworkQueryableExtensions.ExecuteAsync(MethodInfo operatorMethodInfo, IQueryable source, Expression expression, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.EntityFrameworkQueryableExtensions.ExecuteAsync(MethodInfo operatorMethodInfo, IQueryable source, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.EntityFrameworkQueryableExtensions.FirstOrDefaultAsync(IQueryable source, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
The problem occurs especially in combination with Skip and Take.
Any idea what could be the reason for this? Or is this a bug of AutoMapper?
The code example is taken from an ASP.NET Core 3.1 application with current AutoMapper version