diff --git a/pmd/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cli/PMDParameters.java b/pmd/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cli/PMDParameters.java
index e747221b60..993c73a567 100644
--- a/pmd/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cli/PMDParameters.java
+++ b/pmd/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cli/PMDParameters.java
@@ -118,7 +118,11 @@ public class PMDParameters {
     	configuration.setSuppressMarker(params.getSuppressmarker());
     	configuration.setThreads(params.getThreads()); 
     	for ( LanguageVersion language : LanguageVersion.findVersionsForLanguageTerseName( params.getLanguage() ) ) {
-        	configuration.getLanguageVersionDiscoverer().setDefaultLanguageVersion(language.getLanguage().getVersion(params.getVersion()));    		
+        	LanguageVersion languageVersion = language.getLanguage().getVersion(params.getVersion());
+        	if (languageVersion == null) {
+            		languageVersion = language.getLanguage().getDefaultVersion();
+        	}
+        	configuration.getLanguageVersionDiscoverer().setDefaultLanguageVersion(languageVersion);
     	}
         try {
             configuration.prependClasspath(params.getAuxclasspath());