diff --git a/source/org/jivesoftware/smack/PacketReader.java b/source/org/jivesoftware/smack/PacketReader.java
index 2cd606db9..08dfb37af 100644
--- a/source/org/jivesoftware/smack/PacketReader.java
+++ b/source/org/jivesoftware/smack/PacketReader.java
@@ -529,20 +529,22 @@ class PacketReader {
                 // attempt to parse it if it's in the form <name>value</name>.
                 else if (parser.getNamespace().equals("jabber:iq:register")) {
                     String name = parser.getName();
-                    if (parser.next() == XmlPullParser.TEXT) {
-                        String value = parser.getText();
-                        // Ignore instructions, but anything else should be added to the map.
-                        if (!name.equals("instructions")) {
-                            if (fields == null) {
-                                fields = new HashMap();
-                            }
-                            fields.put(name, value);
-                        }
-                        else {
-                            registration.setInstructions(value);
-                        }
+                    String value = "";
+                    if (fields == null) {
+                        fields = new HashMap();
                     }
-                }
+
+                    if (parser.next() == XmlPullParser.TEXT) {
+                        value = parser.getText();
+                    }
+                    // Ignore instructions, but anything else should be added to the map.
+                    if (!name.equals("instructions")) {
+                        fields.put(name, value);
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        registration.setInstructions(value);
+                    }
+}
                 // Otherwise, it must be a packet extension.
                 else {
                     registration.addExtension(