diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/ChangeLog b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/ChangeLog
index 93ad1de5733..974b8e7485b 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/ChangeLog
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+2004-02-03 Alain Magloire
+	PR 51121
+	From Chris Wiebe:
+	This patch prevents a null pointer exception in
+	org.eclipse.jface.text.reconciler.AbstractReconciler.  Under certain
+	conditions (like rapidly closing all editors) the call to getDocument()
+	inside initialProcess() can return null which causes an exception.
+	
+	* src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/text/CSourceViewerConfiguration.java
+
 2004-02-03 Alain Magloire
 
 	PR 51115
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/text/CSourceViewerConfiguration.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/text/CSourceViewerConfiguration.java
index d14712aec04..77adf69a774 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/text/CSourceViewerConfiguration.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/text/CSourceViewerConfiguration.java
@@ -193,7 +193,15 @@ public class CSourceViewerConfiguration extends SourceViewerConfiguration {
 	 */
 	public IReconciler getReconciler(ISourceViewer sourceViewer) {
 		if (fEditor != null && fEditor.isEditable()) {
-			Reconciler reconciler= new Reconciler();
+			Reconciler reconciler= new Reconciler() {
+				protected void initialProcess() {
+					// prevent case where getDocument() returns null
+					// and causes exception in initialProcess()
+					IDocument doc = getDocument();
+					if (doc != null)
+						super.initialProcess();
+				}
+			};
 			reconciler.setDelay(1000);
 			reconciler.setIsIncrementalReconciler(false);
 			reconciler.setReconcilingStrategy(new CReconcilingStrategy(fEditor), IDocument.DEFAULT_CONTENT_TYPE);