diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/bytestreams/socks5/Socks5Proxy.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/bytestreams/socks5/Socks5Proxy.java
index 152922300..370c1c0cf 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/bytestreams/socks5/Socks5Proxy.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/bytestreams/socks5/Socks5Proxy.java
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ public class Socks5Proxy {
 
                 try {
 
-                    if (Socks5Proxy.this.serverSocket.isClosed()
+                    if (Socks5Proxy.this.serverSocket == null || Socks5Proxy.this.serverSocket.isClosed()
                                     || Thread.currentThread().isInterrupted()) {
                         return;
                     }