diff --git a/history.txt b/history.txt
index 9bec51040..63ea71035 100644
--- a/history.txt
+++ b/history.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 2011-11-26 zzz
   * DCCServer: Socket error log fix
+  * NTCP: Fix pumper NPE (ticket #555)
 
 2011-11-23 zzz
   * CryptixAESEngine: Fix bogus bounds checks
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/EventPumper.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/EventPumper.java
index 086b1dd37..17401ba7a 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/EventPumper.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/EventPumper.java
@@ -615,7 +615,9 @@ class EventPumper implements Runnable {
                 // although it could be a read failure during the DH handshake
                 // Same stat as in processConnect()
                 _context.statManager().addRateData("ntcp.connectFailedTimeoutIOE", 1);
-                _transport.markUnreachable(con.getRemotePeer().calculateHash());
+                RouterIdentity rem = con.getRemotePeer();
+                if (rem != null)
+                    _transport.markUnreachable(rem.calculateHash());
             }
             con.close();
         } catch (NotYetConnectedException nyce) {