diff --git a/poi-ooxml/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/xwpf/usermodel/XWPFParagraph.java b/poi-ooxml/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/xwpf/usermodel/XWPFParagraph.java
index d572da627e..89a681ecf8 100644
--- a/poi-ooxml/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/xwpf/usermodel/XWPFParagraph.java
+++ b/poi-ooxml/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/xwpf/usermodel/XWPFParagraph.java
@@ -1457,6 +1457,9 @@ public class XWPFParagraph implements IBodyElement, IRunBody, ISDTContents, Para
      */
     private CTSpacing getCTSpacing(boolean create) {
         CTPPr pr = getCTPPr(create);
+        if (pr == null) {
+           return null;
+        }
         CTSpacing ct = pr.getSpacing();
         if (create && ct == null) {
             ct = pr.addNewSpacing();
diff --git a/poi-ooxml/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/xwpf/usermodel/TestXWPFParagraph.java b/poi-ooxml/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/xwpf/usermodel/TestXWPFParagraph.java
index 2aaf6b1072..5ef646a77c 100644
--- a/poi-ooxml/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/xwpf/usermodel/TestXWPFParagraph.java
+++ b/poi-ooxml/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/xwpf/usermodel/TestXWPFParagraph.java
@@ -921,6 +921,50 @@ public final class TestXWPFParagraph {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testGettersWithEmptyParagraphProperties() throws IOException {
+        try (XWPFDocument doc = XWPFTestDataSamples.openSampleDocument("emptyPPr.docx")) {
+            XWPFParagraph p = doc.getParagraphArray(0);
+
+            assertNull(p.getNumID());
+            assertNull(p.getNumIlvl());
+            assertNull(p.getNumFmt());
+            assertNull(p.getNumLevelText());
+            assertNull(p.getNumStartOverride());
+            assertFalse(p.isKeepNext());
+
+            assertFalse(p.isAlignmentSet());
+            assertEquals(ParagraphAlignment.LEFT, p.getAlignment());
+            assertEquals(TextAlignment.AUTO, p.getVerticalAlignment());
+
+            assertEquals(Borders.NONE, p.getBorderTop());
+            assertEquals(Borders.NONE, p.getBorderBottom());
+            assertEquals(Borders.NONE, p.getBorderLeft());
+            assertEquals(Borders.NONE, p.getBorderRight());
+            assertEquals(Borders.NONE, p.getBorderBetween());
+
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getSpacingAfter());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getSpacingAfterLines());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getSpacingBefore());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getSpacingBeforeLines());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getSpacingBetween());
+            assertEquals(LineSpacingRule.AUTO, p.getSpacingLineRule());
+
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getIndentationLeft());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getIndentationLeftChars());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getIndentationRight());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getIndentationRightChars());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getIndentationHanging());
+            assertEquals(-1, p.getIndentationFirstLine());
+
+            assertFalse(p.isPageBreak());
+            assertFalse(p.isWordWrapped());
+
+            assertNull(p.getStyleID());
+            assertNull(p.getStyle());
+        }
+    }
+
     private static void checkSearchText(XWPFParagraph paragraph, String search, int beginRun, int endRun, int beginText, int endText,
             int beginChar, int endChar) {
         TextSegment result = paragraph.searchText(search, new PositionInParagraph());
diff --git a/test-data/document/emptyPPr.docx b/test-data/document/emptyPPr.docx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ef696b1e1
Binary files /dev/null and b/test-data/document/emptyPPr.docx differ