diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/NameRecord.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/NameRecord.java
index a1b9adf43..1ecdb9d09 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/NameRecord.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/NameRecord.java
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ public class NameRecord extends Record {
      * @return extern sheet index
      */
     public short getExternSheetNumber(){
-        if (field_13_name_definition == null) return 0;
+        if (field_13_name_definition == null || field_13_name_definition.isEmpty()) return 0;
         Ptg ptg = (Ptg) field_13_name_definition.peek();
         short result = 0;
 
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ public class NameRecord extends Record {
      * @return area reference
      */
     public String getAreaReference(Workbook book){
-        if (field_13_name_definition == null) return "#REF!";
+        if (field_13_name_definition == null || field_13_name_definition.isEmpty()) return "#REF!";
         Ptg ptg = (Ptg) field_13_name_definition.peek();
         String result = "";
 
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/data/27852.xls b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/data/27852.xls
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4b0a4c6c
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/data/27852.xls differ
diff --git a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestBugs.java b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestBugs.java
index 5bfa0c4f0..38ad0da14 100644
--- a/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestBugs.java
+++ b/src/testcases/org/apache/poi/hssf/usermodel/TestBugs.java
@@ -491,6 +491,22 @@ extends TestCase {
         assertTrue("No Exceptions while reading file", true);
         
     }
+	
+	/**names and macros */
+	public void test27852() throws java.io.IOException {
+        String filename = System.getProperty("HSSF.testdata.path");
+        filename=filename+"/27852.xls";
+        FileInputStream in = new FileInputStream(filename);
+        HSSFWorkbook wb = new HSSFWorkbook(in);
+        assertTrue("No Exceptions while reading file", true);
+        for(int i = 0 ; i < wb.getNumberOfNames() ; i++)
+        {
+          HSSFName name = wb.getNameAt(i);
+          name.getNameName();
+          name.getReference();
+        }
+        assertTrue("No Exceptions till here!", true);
+    }
 
 }