diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/cdi/SourceManager.java b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/cdi/SourceManager.java
index 88bff625c8d..f7ac38a4ecc 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/cdi/SourceManager.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/cdi/SourceManager.java
@@ -219,6 +219,9 @@ public class SourceManager extends SessionObject implements ICDISourceManager {
 
 
 	public Type getType(ICDITarget target, String name) throws CDIException {
+		if (name == null) {
+			name = new String();
+		}
 		String typename = name.trim();
 
 		// Check the derived types and agregate types