diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jruby/embed/jsr223/JRubyEngine.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jruby/embed/jsr223/JRubyEngine.java
index 7fd1518d306..b2d350b6c69 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jruby/embed/jsr223/JRubyEngine.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jruby/embed/jsr223/JRubyEngine.java
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ public Object invokeMethod(Object receiver, String method, Object... args)
             }
             return container.callMethod(receiver, method, args, Object.class);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            if (e.getCause().getMessage().contains("undefined method")) {
+            if (e.getCause() != null && e.getCause().getMessage() != null
+                    && e.getCause().getMessage().contains("undefined method")) {
                 throw wrapMethodException(e);
             }
             throw wrapException(e);
@@ -239,7 +240,8 @@ public Object invokeFunction(String method, Object... args)
             }
             return container.callMethod(container.getProvider().getRuntime().getTopSelf(), method, args, Object.class);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            if (e.getCause().getMessage().contains("undefined method")) {
+            if (e.getCause() != null && e.getCause().getMessage() != null
+                    && e.getCause().getMessage().contains("undefined method")) {
                 throw wrapMethodException(e);
             }
             throw wrapException(e);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/jruby/embed/jsr223/JRubyEngineTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/jruby/embed/jsr223/JRubyEngineTest.java
index 9b76c00becd..3c2a83d1607 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/jruby/embed/jsr223/JRubyEngineTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/jruby/embed/jsr223/JRubyEngineTest.java
@@ -617,6 +617,21 @@ public void testInvokeMethod() throws Exception {
         instance.getBindings(ScriptContext.ENGINE_SCOPE).clear();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test of invokeMethod method throwing an exception with a null message.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testInvokeMethodWithJavaException() throws Exception {
+        ScriptEngine instance = newScriptEngine();
+        instance.eval("def trigger_npe\nraise java.lang.NullPointerException.new\nend");
+        try {
+            Object result = ((Invocable) instance).invokeMethod(Object.class,"trigger_npe", null);
+            fail("Expected javax.script.ScriptException");
+        } catch (javax.script.ScriptException sex) {
+            // javax.script.ScriptException is expected
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test of invokeFunction method, of class Jsr223JRubyEngine.
      */
@@ -643,6 +658,21 @@ public void testInvokeFunction() throws Exception {
         instance.getBindings(ScriptContext.ENGINE_SCOPE).clear();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test of invokeFunction method throwing an exception with a null message.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testInvokeFunctionWithJavaException() throws Exception {
+        ScriptEngine instance = newScriptEngine();
+        instance.eval("def trigger_npe\nraise java.lang.NullPointerException.new\nend");
+        try {
+            Object result = ((Invocable) instance).invokeFunction("trigger_npe", null);
+            fail("Expected javax.script.ScriptException");
+        } catch (javax.script.ScriptException sex) {
+            // javax.script.ScriptException is expected
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test of getInterface method, of class Jsr223JRubyEngine.
      */