diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Slave.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Slave.java
index 0368e2f007b56c8999990a775c3468240c2ed16a..af236a43463d0259b8522894194d23a2941cb205 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Slave.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Slave.java
@@ -288,7 +288,9 @@ public abstract class Slave implements Node, Serializable {
     }
 
     public FilePath createPath(String absolutePath) {
-        VirtualChannel ch = getComputer().getChannel();
+        SlaveComputer computer = getComputer();
+        if (computer==null) return null; // offline
+        VirtualChannel ch = computer.getChannel();
         if(ch==null)    return null;    // offline
         return new FilePath(ch,absolutePath);
     }