diff --git a/surefire-booter/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/surefire/booter/SystemUtils.java b/surefire-booter/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/surefire/booter/SystemUtils.java
index ab7538a7c2..8f47478fc5 100644
--- a/surefire-booter/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/surefire/booter/SystemUtils.java
+++ b/surefire-booter/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/surefire/booter/SystemUtils.java
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public static boolean endsWithJavaPath( String jvmExecPath )
     public static File toJdkHomeFromJvmExec( String jvmExecutable )
     {
         File bin = new File( jvmExecutable ).getAbsoluteFile().getParentFile();
-        if ( "bin".equals( bin.getName() ) )
+        if ( bin != null && "bin".equals( bin.getName() ) )
         {
             File parent = bin.getParentFile();
             if ( "jre".equals( parent.getName() ) )
diff --git a/surefire-booter/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/surefire/booter/SystemUtilsTest.java b/surefire-booter/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/surefire/booter/SystemUtilsTest.java
index c504e04d9d..f36ece51d4 100644
--- a/surefire-booter/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/surefire/booter/SystemUtilsTest.java
+++ b/surefire-booter/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/surefire/booter/SystemUtilsTest.java
@@ -98,6 +98,15 @@ public void incorrectJdkPath()
             assertThat( SystemUtils.isJava9AtLeast( incorrect.getAbsolutePath() ) ).isFalse();
         }
 
+        @Test
+        public void incorrectJdkPathShouldNotNPE()
+        {
+            File jre = new File( "/opt/jdk" );
+            File jdk = jre.getParentFile();
+            File incorrect = jdk.getParentFile();
+            assertThat( SystemUtils.isJava9AtLeast( incorrect.getAbsolutePath() ) ).isFalse();
+        }
+
         @Test
         public void shouldHaveJavaPath()
         {