diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefUpdateTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefUpdateTest.java
index 8744ed1bd..4ae92ccbe 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefUpdateTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefUpdateTest.java
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ public class RefUpdateTest extends SampleDataRepositoryTestCase {
 			assertNull(db.resolve(toName));
 			assertEquals(oldFromLog.toString(), db.getReflogReader(fromName)
 					.getReverseEntries().toString());
-			if (oldHeadId != null)
+			if (oldHeadId != null && oldHeadLog != null)
 				assertEquals(oldHeadLog.toString(), db.getReflogReader(
 						Constants.HEAD).getReverseEntries().toString());
 		} finally {