diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
index 30d577d9a..706677632 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 Changes since 4.3.1
 -------------------
 
+* [HTTPCLIENT-1440] 'file' scheme in redirect location URI causes NPE.
+  Contributed by James Leigh <james at 3roundstones dot com>
+
 * [HTTPCLIENT-1437] Made Executor#execute thread safe.
   Contributed by Oleg Kalnichevski <olegk at apache.org>
 
diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/URIUtils.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/URIUtils.java
index 6b1077ace..131f20d7a 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/URIUtils.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/URIUtils.java
@@ -259,7 +259,8 @@ public class URIUtils {
      * @return the URI without dot segments
      */
     private static URI normalizeSyntax(final URI uri) {
-        if (uri.isOpaque()) {
+        if (uri.isOpaque() || uri.getAuthority() == null) {
+            // opaque and file: URIs
             return uri;
         }
         Args.check(uri.isAbsolute(), "Base URI must be absolute");
diff --git a/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/TestURIUtils.java b/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/TestURIUtils.java
index 67919af22..6050061a6 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/TestURIUtils.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/TestURIUtils.java
@@ -173,6 +173,20 @@ public class TestURIUtils {
                 "http://s/mid/content=5/../6").toString());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testResolveOpaque() {
+        Assert.assertEquals("example://a/b/c/%7Bfoo%7D", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "eXAMPLE://a/./b/../b/%63/%7bfoo%7d").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("file://localhost/etc/fstab", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "file://localhost/etc/fstab").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("file:///etc/fstab", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "file:///etc/fstab").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("file://localhost/c:/WINDOWS/clock.avi", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "file://localhost/c:/WINDOWS/clock.avi").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("file:///c:/WINDOWS/clock.avi", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "file:///c:/WINDOWS/clock.avi").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("file://hostname/path/to/the%20file.txt", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "file://hostname/path/to/the%20file.txt").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("file:///c:/path/to/the%20file.txt", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "file:///c:/path/to/the%20file.txt").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("urn:issn:1535-3613", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "urn:issn:1535-3613").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("mailto:user@example.com", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "mailto:user@example.com").toString());
+        Assert.assertEquals("ftp://example.org/resource.txt", URIUtils.resolve(this.baseURI, "ftp://example.org/resource.txt").toString());
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testExtractHost() throws Exception {
         Assert.assertEquals(new HttpHost("localhost"),