diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
index f3837069c15..466bdf58394 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2005-03-02 Alain Magloire
+	Fix for PR 85043: NPE when calling Ar.isARHeader(null);
+	* utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/elf/AR.java
+	* utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/macho/AR.java
+	* utils/org/elcipse/cdt/utils/som/AR.java
+	* utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/xcoff/AR.java
+
 2005-02-24 Alain Magloire
 	Part of 79596
 	* model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/PathEntryManager.java
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/elf/AR.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/elf/AR.java
index fbaf34e4c89..d841422414a 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/elf/AR.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/elf/AR.java
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ public class AR {
 	}
 
 	public static boolean isARHeader(byte[] ident) {
-		if (ident.length < 7
+		if (ident == null || ident.length < 7
 			|| ident[0] != '!'
 			|| ident[1] != '<'
 			|| ident[2] != 'a'
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/macho/AR.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/macho/AR.java
index 256f4ade40c..93e8f7ea6e1 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/macho/AR.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/macho/AR.java
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ public class AR {
 	}
 
 	public static boolean isARHeader(byte[] ident) {
-		if (ident.length < 7
+		if (ident == null || ident.length < 7
 			|| ident[0] != '!'
 			|| ident[1] != '<'
 			|| ident[2] != 'a'
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/som/AR.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/som/AR.java
index 75fa09aac3a..7a7f326b57e 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/som/AR.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/som/AR.java
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ public class AR {
 	}
 
 	public static boolean isARHeader(byte[] ident) {
-		if (ident.length < 8
+		if (ident == null || ident.length < 8
 			|| ident[0] != '!'
 			|| ident[1] != '<'
 			|| ident[2] != 'a'
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/xcoff/AR.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/xcoff/AR.java
index 81412837e6a..9ae33796ebc 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/xcoff/AR.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/utils/org/eclipse/cdt/utils/xcoff/AR.java
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public class AR {
 	}
 
 	public static boolean isARHeader(byte[] ident) {
-		if (ident.length < 8
+		if (ident == null || ident.length < 8
 			|| ident[0] != '<'
 			|| ident[1] != 'b'
 			|| ident[2] != 'i'