diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/AvoidReassigningLoopVariablesRule.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/AvoidReassigningLoopVariablesRule.java
index cd67b9b211..06839b51b5 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/AvoidReassigningLoopVariablesRule.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/AvoidReassigningLoopVariablesRule.java
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public class AvoidReassigningLoopVariablesRule extends AbstractOptimizationRule
      * Add a violation, if the node image is one of the loop variables.
      */
     private void checkVariable(Object data, Set<String> loopVariables, AbstractNode node) {
-        if (loopVariables.contains(node.getImage())) {
+        if (node != null && loopVariables.contains(node.getImage())) {
             addViolation(data, node, node.getImage());
         }
     }
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/AvoidReassigningLoopVariables.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/AvoidReassigningLoopVariables.xml
index 8dffd3f0a7..a875c6dca8 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/AvoidReassigningLoopVariables.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/AvoidReassigningLoopVariables.xml
@@ -35,6 +35,36 @@ public class Foo {
      ]]></code>
     </test-code>
 
+    <test-code>
+        <description>no violation: incremented other variable</description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class Foo {
+    void foo(int bar) {
+        for (int i=0; i < 10; i++) {
+            doSomethingWith(i);
+            x++;
+        }
+    }
+}
+     ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+
+    <test-code>
+        <description>no violation: incremented field</description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class Foo {
+    void foo(int bar) {
+        for (int i=0; i < 10; i++) {
+            doSomethingWith(i);
+            this.i++; // not OK
+        }
+    }
+}
+     ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+
     <test-code>
         <description>violation: add to 'for' loop variable</description>
         <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>