diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/service/GDBMemory.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/service/GDBMemory.java
index 9795f85..82c0914 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/service/GDBMemory.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/service/GDBMemory.java
@@ -194,6 +194,11 @@
 
 	@Override
 	public boolean isBigEndian(IMemoryDMContext context) {
+		assert fIsBigEndian != null;
+		if (fIsBigEndian == null) {
+			GdbPlugin.log(new Status(IStatus.ERROR, GdbPlugin.PLUGIN_ID, "Endianness was never initialized!")); //$NON-NLS-1$
+					return false;
+		}
 		return fIsBigEndian;
 	}