diff --git a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.checkers/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/checkers/NonVirtualDestructor.java b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.checkers/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/checkers/NonVirtualDestructor.java
index 68a6695dcea..f4b07cb07d9 100644
--- a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.checkers/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/checkers/NonVirtualDestructor.java
+++ b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.checkers/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/checkers/NonVirtualDestructor.java
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ public class NonVirtualDestructor extends AbstractIndexAstChecker {
 						if (destName != null) {
 							if (destName instanceof ICPPInternalBinding) {
 								ICPPInternalBinding bin = (ICPPInternalBinding) destName;
-								ast = bin.getDeclarations()[0];
+								IASTNode[] decls = bin.getDeclarations();
+								if (decls!=null && decls.length>0)
+									ast = decls[0];
 							}
 							mess = MessageFormat
 									.format(