diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/inspections/PyUnusedLocalInspectionVisitor.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/inspections/PyUnusedLocalInspectionVisitor.java
index f770c5d11616..72b2913d6e11 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/inspections/PyUnusedLocalInspectionVisitor.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/inspections/PyUnusedLocalInspectionVisitor.java
@@ -207,7 +207,8 @@ public class PyUnusedLocalInspectionVisitor extends PyInspectionVisitor {
       owner.acceptChildren(new PyRecursiveElementVisitor(){
         @Override
         public void visitPyCallExpression(final PyCallExpression node) {
-          if ("locals".equals(node.getCallee().getName())){
+          final PyExpression callee = node.getCallee();
+          if (callee != null && "locals".equals(callee.getName())){
             throw new DontPerformException();
           }
           node.acceptChildren(this); // look at call expr in arguments