diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/ast/FakedTrackingVariable.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/ast/FakedTrackingVariable.java
index 4ac6c2f..404f065 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/ast/FakedTrackingVariable.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/ast/FakedTrackingVariable.java
@@ -529,15 +529,17 @@
 	 */
 	private int getNullStatusAggressively(LocalVariableBinding local, FlowInfo flowInfo) {
 		int reachMode = flowInfo.reachMode();
-		int status = 0;
-		try {
-			// unreachable flowInfo is too shy in reporting null-issues, temporarily forget reachability:
-			if (reachMode != FlowInfo.REACHABLE)
-				flowInfo.tagBits &= ~FlowInfo.UNREACHABLE;
-			status = flowInfo.nullStatus(local);
-		} finally {
-			// reset
-			flowInfo.tagBits |= reachMode;
+		int status = FlowInfo.UNKNOWN;
+		if (flowInfo != FlowInfo.DEAD_END) {
+			try {
+				// unreachable flowInfo is too shy in reporting null-issues, temporarily forget reachability:
+				if (reachMode != FlowInfo.REACHABLE)
+					flowInfo.tagBits &= ~FlowInfo.UNREACHABLE;
+				status = flowInfo.nullStatus(local);
+			} finally {
+				// reset
+				flowInfo.tagBits |= reachMode;
+			}
 		}
 		// at this point some combinations are not useful so flatten to a single bit:
 		if ((status & FlowInfo.NULL) != 0) {