diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/regex/RegexHelper.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/regex/RegexHelper.java
index 3547893774..d528401d4a 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/regex/RegexHelper.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/regex/RegexHelper.java
@@ -25,22 +25,36 @@ public class RegexHelper {
 	 * @return
 	 */
 	public static List<Pattern> compilePatternFromList(List<String> list) {
-		List<Pattern> patterns = new ArrayList<Pattern>(list.size());
-		for (String stringPattern : list) {
-			if ( stringPattern != null && stringPattern.length() > 0 ) {
-				patterns.add(Pattern.compile(stringPattern));
-			} else {
-				throw new IllegalArgumentException("The following pattern is not valid:" + stringPattern);
+		List<Pattern> patterns;
+		if (list != null && list.size() > 0) {
+			patterns = new ArrayList<Pattern>(list.size());
+			for (String stringPattern : list) {
+				if ( stringPattern != null && ! "".equals(stringPattern) ) {
+					patterns.add(Pattern.compile(stringPattern));
+				}
 			}
 		}
+		else
+			patterns = new ArrayList<Pattern>(0);
 		return patterns;
 	}
 
- 	public static boolean isMatch(Pattern pattern,String image) {
-        Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(image);
-        if (matcher.find()) {
-            return true;
-        }
+	/**
+	 * <p>Simple commidity method (also designed to increase readability of source code,
+	 * and to decrease import in the calling class).</p>
+	 * <p>Provide a pattern and a subject, it'll do the proper matching.</p>
+	 *
+	 * @param pattern, a compiled regex pattern.
+	 * @param subject, a String to match
+	 * @return
+	 */
+ 	public static boolean isMatch(Pattern pattern,String subject) {
+ 		if ( subject != null && "".equals(subject) ) {
+	        Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(subject);
+	        if (matcher.find()) {
+	            return true;
+	        }
+ 		}
 		return false;
 	}