diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightPhase.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightPhase.java
index 5f80520aadf..44f32737026 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightPhase.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightPhase.java
@@ -169,9 +169,9 @@ public class HighlightPhase implements SearchHitPhase {
                             }
                         });
                     }
-                    String[] fragments;
+                    String[] fragments = null;
                     // number_of_fragments is set to 0 but we have a multivalued field
-                    if (field.numberOfFragments() == 0 && textsToHighlight.size() > 1) {
+                    if (field.numberOfFragments() == 0 && textsToHighlight.size() > 1 && fragsList.size() > 0) {
                         fragments = new String[1];
                         for (int i = 0; i < fragsList.size(); i++) {
                             fragments[0] = (fragments[0] != null ? (fragments[0] + " ") : "") + fragsList.get(i).toString();
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ public class HighlightPhase implements SearchHitPhase {
                         }
                     }
 
-                    if (fragments.length > 0) {
+                    if (fragments != null && fragments.length > 0) {
                         HighlightField highlightField = new HighlightField(field.field(), fragments);
                         highlightFields.put(highlightField.name(), highlightField);
                     }