diff --git a/fs/exfat/dir.c b/fs/exfat/dir.c
index 7446bf09a04a..5e26a4f3edeb 100644
--- a/fs/exfat/dir.c
+++ b/fs/exfat/dir.c
@@ -743,6 +743,11 @@ struct exfat_dentry *exfat_get_dentry_cached(
 {
 	int off = es->start_off + num * DENTRY_SIZE;
 	struct buffer_head *bh = es->bh[EXFAT_B_TO_BLK(off, es->sb)];
+
+	if(!bh || !bh->data) {
+		printk(KERN_ERR "invalid buffer head (or) b_data is NULL\n");
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	char *p = bh->b_data + EXFAT_BLK_OFFSET(off, es->sb);
 
 	return (struct exfat_dentry *)p;