diff --git a/headless-services/commons/language-server-test-harness/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/languageserver/testharness/Editor.java b/headless-services/commons/language-server-test-harness/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/languageserver/testharness/Editor.java
index 24b46c052..12741c44a 100644
--- a/headless-services/commons/language-server-test-harness/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/languageserver/testharness/Editor.java
+++ b/headless-services/commons/language-server-test-harness/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/languageserver/testharness/Editor.java
@@ -248,7 +248,13 @@ public class Editor {
 			pos += afterString.length();
 		}
 		List<? extends DocumentHighlight> actual = harness.getDocumentHighlights(doc.getId(), doc.toPosition(pos));
-		assertEquals(ImmutableList.copyOf(expected), actual);
+		
+		if (actual == null) {
+			assertTrue(expected == null || expected.length == 0);
+		}
+		else {
+			assertEquals(ImmutableList.copyOf(expected), actual);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**