diff --git a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
index e4022e7a6..a0816adfc 100644
--- a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
+++ b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
     <changes>
         <release version="3.8-beta6" date="2012-??-??">
+           <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">52662 - CharacterRun NPE fix when fetching symbol fonts, where no fonts are defined</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="add">52658 - support mergin table cells in XSLF</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="add">validate row number and column index in SXSSF when creating new rows / cells</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">51498 - fixed evaluation of blank cells in COUNTIF</action>
diff --git a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/CharacterRun.java b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/CharacterRun.java
index 61be15b66..d049969f7 100644
--- a/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/CharacterRun.java
+++ b/src/scratchpad/src/org/apache/poi/hwpf/usermodel/CharacterRun.java
@@ -606,8 +606,13 @@ public final class CharacterRun
   public Ffn getSymbolFont()
   {
     if (isSymbol()) {
+      if (_doc.getFontTable() == null)
+        return null;
+      
+      // Fetch all font names
       Ffn[] fontNames = _doc.getFontTable().getFontNames();
 
+      // Try to find the name of the font for our symbol
       if (fontNames.length <= _props.getFtcSym())
         return null;