diff --git a/gas/ChangeLog b/gas/ChangeLog
index 46711fd5fe..d8f5892711 100644
--- a/gas/ChangeLog
+++ b/gas/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2018-03-02  Thomas Preud'homme  <thomas.preudhomme@arm.com>
+
+	* config/tc-arm.c (md_begin): Add NULL pointer check before
+	dereferencing march_ext_opt.
+
 2018-03-01  Thomas Preud'homme  <thomas.preudhomme@arm.com>
 
 	* config/tc-arm.c (cpu_variant, arm_arch_used, thumb_arch_used,
diff --git a/gas/config/tc-arm.c b/gas/config/tc-arm.c
index ac403cc74e..eda9890921 100644
--- a/gas/config/tc-arm.c
+++ b/gas/config/tc-arm.c
@@ -25407,7 +25407,7 @@ md_begin (void)
 	 from the processor.  */
       if (mcpu_fpu_opt)
 	selected_fpu = *mcpu_fpu_opt;
-      else
+      else if (march_fpu_opt)
 	selected_fpu = *march_fpu_opt;
 #else
       selected_fpu = fpu_default;