diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/multithreading/UnsynchronizedStaticFormatterRule.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/multithreading/UnsynchronizedStaticFormatterRule.java
index 4402b17ba8..2a1f6b386b 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/multithreading/UnsynchronizedStaticFormatterRule.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/multithreading/UnsynchronizedStaticFormatterRule.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class UnsynchronizedStaticFormatterRule extends AbstractJavaRule {
         }
 
         ASTVariableDeclaratorId var = node.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTVariableDeclaratorId.class);
-        if (Arrays.asList(threadSafeFormatter).contains(var.getType().getName())) {
+        if (var.getType() != null && Arrays.asList(threadSafeFormatter).contains(var.getType().getName())) {
             return data;
         }
         for (NameOccurrence occ : var.getUsages()) {