diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
index 9d8575934f1..7ebfe66a8c7 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2005-01-11 David Inglis
+
+	Fixed NPE bug #82572
+	
+	* src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptor.java
+	
+
 2005-01-07 Alain Magloire
 	Fix PR 82202
 	* model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/CElement.java
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptor.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptor.java
index 62b38e2fc0b..402b1353c52 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptor.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptor.java
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ public class CDescriptor implements ICDescriptor {
 		NodeList nodes = doc.getDocumentElement().getElementsByTagName(PROJECT_DATA_ITEM);
 		for (int i = 0; i < nodes.getLength(); ++i) {
 			Element element = (Element)nodes.item(i);
-			if (element.getAttribute(PROJECT_DATA_ID).equals(id))
+			if (element != null && element.getAttribute(PROJECT_DATA_ID).equals(id))
 				return element;
 		}