diff --git a/include/llvm/AbstractTypeUser.h b/include/llvm/AbstractTypeUser.h
index b6cceb4011a..81f5c5c7680 100644
--- a/include/llvm/AbstractTypeUser.h
+++ b/include/llvm/AbstractTypeUser.h
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ class PATypeHolder {
   mutable const Type *Ty;
   void destroy();
 public:
+  PATypeHolder() : Ty(0) {}
   PATypeHolder(const Type *ty) : Ty(ty) {
     addRef();
   }
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ public:
     addRef();
   }
 
-  ~PATypeHolder() { if (Ty) dropRef(); }
+  ~PATypeHolder() { dropRef(); }
 
   operator Type *() const { return get(); }
   Type *get() const;
diff --git a/include/llvm/Type.h b/include/llvm/Type.h
index 52229acb323..617ef69de46 100644
--- a/include/llvm/Type.h
+++ b/include/llvm/Type.h
@@ -504,19 +504,19 @@ inline void PATypeHandle::removeUser() {
 /// reference to the type.
 ///
 inline Type* PATypeHolder::get() const {
+  if (Ty == 0) return 0;
   const Type *NewTy = Ty->getForwardedType();
   if (!NewTy) return const_cast<Type*>(Ty);
   return *const_cast<PATypeHolder*>(this) = NewTy;
 }
 
 inline void PATypeHolder::addRef() {
-  assert(Ty && "Type Holder has a null type!");
-  if (Ty->isAbstract())
+  if (Ty && Ty->isAbstract())
     Ty->addRef();
 }
 
 inline void PATypeHolder::dropRef() {
-  if (Ty->isAbstract())
+  if (Ty && Ty->isAbstract())
     Ty->dropRef();
 }