Gracefully handle explicit transient=None #1495

Job	Run time
Make SDist	17s
check_release	1m 23s
check_links	1m 16s
Build, test and code coverage (ubuntu-latest, 3.8)	2m 4s
Test Docs	39s
Build, test and code coverage (ubuntu-latest, 3.11)	2m 4s
Test Minimum Versions	38s
Test Lint	56s
Build, test and code coverage (macos-latest, 3.8)	3m 4s
Build, test and code coverage (macos-latest, 3.11)	2m 8s
Test Prereleases	2m 3s
Build, test and code coverage (windows-latest, 3.8)	4m 46s
Build, test and code coverage (windows-latest, 3.11)	4m 46s
Build, test and code coverage (windows-latest, 3.9)	3m 23s
Build, test and code coverage (ubuntu-latest, pypy-3.8)	42s
Build, test and code coverage (ubuntu-latest, 3.12)	2m 45s
Build, test and code coverage (macos-latest, 3.10)	2m 25s
Install from SDist and Test	1m 59s
coverage	0s
tests_check	4s
	37m 22s

Provide feedback