diff --git a/src/share/classes/java/util/logging/LogManager.java b/src/share/classes/java/util/logging/LogManager.java
index 55b2f206e76583aead882636a53117cc04201c2d..40537d2e46e1978c75c44ce8e5bf52780640ae0b 100644
--- a/src/share/classes/java/util/logging/LogManager.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/java/util/logging/LogManager.java
@@ -395,7 +395,10 @@ public class LogManager {
                         context = userContext;
                     } else {
                         context = new LoggerContext();
-                        context.addLocalLogger(manager.rootLogger);
+                        // during initialization, rootLogger is null when
+                        // instantiating itself RootLogger
+                        if (manager.rootLogger != null)
+                            context.addLocalLogger(manager.rootLogger);
                     }
                     javaAwtAccess.put(ecx, LoggerContext.class, context);
                 }