diff --git a/jetty-http/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/pathmap/ServletPathSpec.java b/jetty-http/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/pathmap/ServletPathSpec.java
index 0a3b515a80a..f04afa923e9 100644
--- a/jetty-http/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/pathmap/ServletPathSpec.java
+++ b/jetty-http/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/pathmap/ServletPathSpec.java
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ public class ServletPathSpec extends PathSpec
     
     public ServletPathSpec(String servletPathSpec)
     {
+        if (servletPathSpec == null)
+            servletPathSpec = "";
         if (servletPathSpec.startsWith("servlet|"))
             servletPathSpec = servletPathSpec.substring("servlet|".length());
         assertValidServletPathSpec(servletPathSpec);