diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index ca4dcef50..79ce9baa2 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ Fixed bugs:
    manifest or manifest attribute.
    Bugzilla Report 54171
 
+ * reading of compiler args has become more defensive
+   Bugzilla Report 53754
+
 Other changes:
 --------------
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/facade/FacadeTaskHelper.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/facade/FacadeTaskHelper.java
index ba77de2c1..08d477d38 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/facade/FacadeTaskHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/facade/FacadeTaskHelper.java
@@ -131,8 +131,10 @@ public class FacadeTaskHelper {
             ImplementationSpecificArgument arg =
                 ((ImplementationSpecificArgument) e.next());
             String[] curr = arg.getParts(getImplementation());
-            for (int i = 0; i < curr.length; i++) {
-                tmp.add(curr[i]);
+            if (curr != null) {
+                for (int i = 0; i < curr.length; i++) {
+                    tmp.add(curr[i]);
+                }
             }
         }
         String[] res = new String[tmp.size()];