diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/AbstractCPPClassSpecializationScope.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/AbstractCPPClassSpecializationScope.java
index 9410007f34d..992a8805957 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/AbstractCPPClassSpecializationScope.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/AbstractCPPClassSpecializationScope.java
@@ -163,8 +163,11 @@ public class AbstractCPPClassSpecializationScope implements ICPPClassSpecializat
 	
 	public ICPPMethod[] getImplicitMethods() {
 		try {
-			ICPPClassScope origClassType= (ICPPClassScope) specialClass.getSpecializedBinding().getCompositeScope();
-			ICPPMethod[] methods= origClassType.getImplicitMethods();
+			ICPPClassScope origClassScope= (ICPPClassScope) specialClass.getSpecializedBinding().getCompositeScope();
+			if (origClassScope == null) {
+				return ICPPMethod.EMPTY_CPPMETHOD_ARRAY;
+			}
+			ICPPMethod[] methods= origClassScope.getImplicitMethods();
 			return specializeMembers(methods);
 		} catch (DOMException e) {
 			return ICPPMethod.EMPTY_CPPMETHOD_ARRAY;