diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.jface/src/org/eclipse/jface/resource/FontRegistry.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.jface/src/org/eclipse/jface/resource/FontRegistry.java
index ec360f9dcca..924b1cc417a 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.jface/src/org/eclipse/jface/resource/FontRegistry.java
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.jface/src/org/eclipse/jface/resource/FontRegistry.java
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ private FontRecord createFont(String symbolicName, FontData[] fonts) {
 		}
 
 		FontData[] validData = filterData(fonts, display);
-		if (validData.length == 0) {
+		if (validData == null || validData.length == 0) {
 			//Nothing specified
 			return null;
 		}
diff --git a/tests/org.eclipse.jface.tests/src/org/eclipse/jface/tests/resources/FontRegistryTest.java b/tests/org.eclipse.jface.tests/src/org/eclipse/jface/tests/resources/FontRegistryTest.java
index 7aa7f7dfcd0..eaf6f98df74 100644
--- a/tests/org.eclipse.jface.tests/src/org/eclipse/jface/tests/resources/FontRegistryTest.java
+++ b/tests/org.eclipse.jface.tests/src/org/eclipse/jface/tests/resources/FontRegistryTest.java
@@ -187,6 +187,20 @@ public void get_forNameThatWasNeverRegistered_returnsDefaultFontAndIsStableAfter
 		assertSame(first, second);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void get_forNameRegisteredWithoutAnyFontData_returnsDefaultFont() {
+		FontRegistry fontRegistry = new FontRegistry();
+		// an empty array leaves nothing to filter, so filterData() yields no usable data at all
+		fontRegistry.put("fontWithoutData", new FontData[0]);
+
+		Font first = fontRegistry.get("fontWithoutData");
+		Font second = fontRegistry.get("fontWithoutData");
+
+		assertSame(fontRegistry.get(JFaceResources.DEFAULT_FONT), first,
+				"a name that cannot be resolved to any font data must fall back to the default font");
+		assertSame(first, second);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void getBoldAndGetItalic_returnSameInstanceOnRepeatedCalls() {
 		FontRegistry fontRegistry = new FontRegistry();