--- old/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/invoke/MethodHandleImpl.java	2017-11-07 11:59:18.000000000 -0800
+++ new/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/invoke/MethodHandleImpl.java	2017-11-07 11:59:17.000000000 -0800
@@ -664,6 +664,7 @@
     static void checkSpreadArgument(Object av, int n) {
         if (av == null) {
             if (n == 0)  return;
+            throw new NullPointerException("null array reference");
         } else if (av instanceof Object[]) {
             int len = ((Object[])av).length;
             if (len == n)  return;