diff --git a/src/share/vm/opto/memnode.cpp b/src/share/vm/opto/memnode.cpp
index 56a11f0db8e37b058c64cfab0ad2fe9841b1daca..2cfbae65be8a621a61f5b10c6d836495616ca2a0 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/opto/memnode.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/opto/memnode.cpp
@@ -1156,6 +1156,9 @@ Node *LoadNode::Identity( PhaseTransform *phase ) {
       // Use _idx of address base (could be Phi node) for boxed values.
       intptr_t   ignore = 0;
       Node*      base = AddPNode::Ideal_base_and_offset(in(Address), phase, ignore);
+      if (base == NULL) {
+        return this;
+      }
       this_iid = base->_idx;
     }
     const Type* this_type = bottom_type();