diff --git a/Reconstruction/tauRecTools/src/TauClusterFinder.cxx b/Reconstruction/tauRecTools/src/TauClusterFinder.cxx
index 8fbe9885ad344c91cff1408b5d2879634338b1bf..8238038d7ce85dd9308297cab6af9dba7e3ed59a 100644
--- a/Reconstruction/tauRecTools/src/TauClusterFinder.cxx
+++ b/Reconstruction/tauRecTools/src/TauClusterFinder.cxx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ StatusCode TauClusterFinder::execute(xAOD::TauJet& tau) const {
   for (const xAOD::CaloCluster* cluster : clusterList) {
     // Clusters with negative energy will be thinned, and the elementlinks to these
     // clusters will not be valid. 
-    if (cluster->e() <=0) continue;
+    if (!cluster || cluster->e() <=0) continue;
 
     ElementLink<xAOD::IParticleContainer> linkToCluster;
     linkToCluster.toContainedElement(