diff --git a/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/TransformationMethodVisitor.java b/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/TransformationMethodVisitor.java
index 14e784fb83d..9c457ce9978 100644
--- a/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/TransformationMethodVisitor.java
+++ b/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/TransformationMethodVisitor.java
@@ -68,7 +68,10 @@ public abstract class TransformationMethodVisitor extends MethodVisitor {
 
             // In case of empty instructions list MethodNode.accept doesn't call visitLocalVariables of delegate
             // So we just do it here
-            if (methodNode.instructions.size() == 0) {
+            if (methodNode.instructions.size() == 0
+                // MethodNode does not create a list of variables for abstract methods, so we would get NPE in accept() instead
+                && (!(delegate instanceof MethodNode) || (methodNode.access & Opcodes.ACC_ABSTRACT) == 0)
+            ) {
                 List<LocalVariableNode> localVariables = methodNode.localVariables;
                 // visits local variables
                 int n = localVariables == null ? 0 : localVariables.size();