diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/ui/editors/DebugTextHover.java b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/ui/editors/DebugTextHover.java
index b4c61335fd3..669f98ba21a 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/ui/editors/DebugTextHover.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/ui/editors/DebugTextHover.java
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ public class DebugTextHover implements ITextHover
 					return null;
 
 				String expression = document.get( hoverRegion.getOffset(), hoverRegion.getLength() );
+				if ( expression == null )
+					return null;
+				expression = expression.trim();
+				if ( expression.length() == 0 )
+					return null; 
 				List targetList = new ArrayList( targets.length );
 				for ( int i = 0; i < targets.length; i++ )
 				{