diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/router/VirtualNetworkApplianceManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/router/VirtualNetworkApplianceManagerImpl.java
index f8f8dcd0b70..9683c331cea 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/router/VirtualNetworkApplianceManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/router/VirtualNetworkApplianceManagerImpl.java
@@ -1080,7 +1080,7 @@ public class VirtualNetworkApplianceManagerImpl implements VirtualNetworkApplian
             String defaultNetworkStartIp = null;
             if (guestNetwork.getCidr() != null) {
                 String startIp = _networkMgr.getStartIpAddress(guestNetwork.getId());
-                if (_ipAddressDao.findByIpAndSourceNetworkId(guestNetwork.getId(), startIp).getAllocatedTime() == null) {
+                if (startIp != null && _ipAddressDao.findByIpAndSourceNetworkId(guestNetwork.getId(), startIp).getAllocatedTime() == null) {
                     defaultNetworkStartIp = startIp;
                 } else if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()){
                     s_logger.debug("First ip " + startIp + " in network id=" + guestNetwork.getId() + " is already allocated, can't use it for domain router; will get random ip address from the range");