diff --git a/src/macosx/native/sun/awt/awt.m b/src/macosx/native/sun/awt/awt.m
index ea684ed0808a228317c5d8ab3eda59d68fe66d3d..5e7942aa0163f6154200d5f2635986f1cfb5d3c9 100644
--- a/src/macosx/native/sun/awt/awt.m
+++ b/src/macosx/native/sun/awt/awt.m
@@ -316,7 +316,10 @@ AWT_ASSERT_APPKIT_THREAD;
     // its finishLaunching has initialized it.
     //  ApplicationDelegate is the support code for com.apple.eawt.
     [ThreadUtilities performOnMainThreadWaiting:YES block:^(){
-        OSXAPP_SetApplicationDelegate([ApplicationDelegate sharedDelegate]);
+        id<NSApplicationDelegate> delegate = [ApplicationDelegate sharedDelegate];
+        if (delegate != nil) {
+            OSXAPP_SetApplicationDelegate(delegate);
+        }        
     }];
 }