diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/AbstractIndexerTask.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/AbstractIndexerTask.java
index 8569a7f7887..afa227f6f5f 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/AbstractIndexerTask.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/AbstractIndexerTask.java
@@ -296,7 +296,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractIndexerTask extends PDOMWriter {
 
 		private static int getOffset(IIndexMacro[] macros, int m) throws CoreException {
 			if (m < macros.length) {
-				return macros[m].getFileLocation().getNodeOffset();
+				IASTFileLocation fileLoc = macros[m].getFileLocation();
+				if (fileLoc != null) {
+					return fileLoc.getNodeOffset();
+				}
 			}
 			return Integer.MAX_VALUE;
 		}