diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/messaging/camel/ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilder.java b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/messaging/camel/ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilder.java
index bd17e1991a..0a240b5e0f 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/messaging/camel/ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/messaging/camel/ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilder.java
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ class ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilder {
 	public <T> Message create(T payload, Map<String, Object> headers) {
 		DefaultMessage message = new DefaultMessage(this.context);
 		message.setBody(payload);
-		message.setHeaders(headers);
+		if (headers != null) {
+			message.setHeaders(headers);
+		}
 		return message;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/messaging/camel/ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilderSpec.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/messaging/camel/ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilderSpec.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb354d8316
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/messaging/camel/ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilderSpec.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package org.springframework.cloud.contract.verifier.messaging.camel
+
+import org.apache.camel.CamelContext
+import org.apache.camel.impl.DefaultCamelContext
+import spock.lang.Specification
+
+/**
+ * @author Marcin Grzejszczak
+ * @since
+ */
+class ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilderSpec extends Specification {
+	def "should not throw an exception when headers are null"() {
+		given:
+			CamelContext camelContext = new DefaultCamelContext()
+			ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilder builder = new ContractVerifierCamelMessageBuilder(camelContext)
+		when:
+			builder.create(null, null)
+		then:
+			noExceptionThrown()
+	}
+}