diff --git a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyServerHandler.java b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyServerHandler.java
index 45d8eec7e26..b4a49f4fb85 100644
--- a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyServerHandler.java
+++ b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyServerHandler.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import io.grpc.Attributes;
 import io.grpc.InternalMetadata;
 import io.grpc.InternalStatus;
@@ -704,7 +705,7 @@ private NettyServerStream.TransportState serverStream(Http2Stream stream) {
 
   private Http2Exception newStreamException(int streamId, Throwable cause) {
     return Http2Exception.streamError(
-        streamId, Http2Error.INTERNAL_ERROR, cause, cause.getMessage());
+        streamId, Http2Error.INTERNAL_ERROR, cause, Strings.nullToEmpty(cause.getMessage()));
   }
 
   private class FrameListener extends Http2FrameAdapter {