diff --git a/src/share/vm/classfile/verifier.cpp b/src/share/vm/classfile/verifier.cpp
index d61a4c3c01075c7d5ae86492fe6f8d4548f52a51..9d94208890b929d43c94365aa7cde067fa6ea66a 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/classfile/verifier.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/classfile/verifier.cpp
@@ -2307,6 +2307,11 @@ void ClassVerifier::verify_invoke_init(
       Method* m = InstanceKlass::cast(ref_klass)->uncached_lookup_method(
         vmSymbols::object_initializer_name(),
         cp->signature_ref_at(bcs->get_index_u2()));
+      if (m == NULL) {
+        verify_error(ErrorContext::bad_code(bci),
+            "Call to missing <init> method");
+        return;
+      }
       instanceKlassHandle mh(THREAD, m->method_holder());
       if (m->is_protected() && !mh->is_same_class_package(_klass())) {
         bool assignable = current_type().is_assignable_from(