diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/internal/ui/view/SystemViewLabelAndContentProvider.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/internal/ui/view/SystemViewLabelAndContentProvider.java
index deaca3061fb..a09d68dbc74 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/internal/ui/view/SystemViewLabelAndContentProvider.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/internal/ui/view/SystemViewLabelAndContentProvider.java
@@ -268,7 +268,9 @@ public class SystemViewLabelAndContentProvider extends LabelProvider
     	}
     	if (supportsDeferredQueries())
     	{
-	        if (manager != null && adapter.supportsDeferredQueries()) 
+    		  // The adapter  needs to be checked to be not null, otherwise
+    		  // we run into an NPE here.
+	        if (manager != null && adapter != null && adapter.supportsDeferredQueries()) 
 	        {
 	        	ISubSystem ss = null;
 	        	if (object instanceof IContextObject)