diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/lookup/SourceTypeBinding.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/lookup/SourceTypeBinding.java
index f486b0f..13f1227 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/lookup/SourceTypeBinding.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/lookup/SourceTypeBinding.java
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@
 	this.scope.buildMethods();
 }
 
-private void initializeNullDefault() {
+private int getNullDefault() {
 	// ensure nullness defaults are initialized at all enclosing levels:
 	switch (this.nullnessDefaultInitialized) {
 	case 0:
@@ -1130,6 +1130,7 @@
 		getPackage().isViewedAsDeprecated(); // initialize annotations
 		this.nullnessDefaultInitialized = 2;
 	}
+	return this.defaultNullness;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1470,7 +1471,6 @@
 					// enum constants neither have a type declaration nor can they be null
 					field.tagBits |= TagBits.AnnotationNonNull;
 				} else {
-					initializeNullDefault();
 					if (hasNonNullDefault()) {
 						field.fillInDefaultNonNullness(fieldDecl, initializationScope);
 					}
@@ -1658,7 +1658,7 @@
 	return method;
 }
 private void createArgumentBindings(MethodBinding method, CompilerOptions compilerOptions) {
-	initializeNullDefault();
+	getNullDefault(); // ensure initialized
 	AbstractMethodDeclaration methodDecl = method.sourceMethod();
 	if (methodDecl != null) {
 		// while creating argument bindings we also collect explicit null annotations:
@@ -1728,8 +1728,7 @@
 
 // return: should caller continue searching?
 protected boolean checkRedundantNullnessDefaultOne(ASTNode location, Annotation[] annotations, long annotationTagBits) {
-	initializeNullDefault();
-	int thisDefault = this.defaultNullness;
+	int thisDefault = getNullDefault();
 	if (thisDefault == NONNULL_BY_DEFAULT) {
 		if ((annotationTagBits & TagBits.AnnotationNonNullByDefault) != 0) {
 			this.scope.problemReporter().nullDefaultAnnotationIsRedundant(location, annotations, this);
@@ -1759,8 +1758,7 @@
 			case Scope.CLASS_SCOPE:
 				currentType = ((ClassScope)currentScope).referenceContext.binding;
 				if (currentType != null) {
-					currentType.initializeNullDefault();
-					int foundDefaultNullness = currentType.defaultNullness;
+					int foundDefaultNullness = currentType.getNullDefault();
 					if (foundDefaultNullness != NO_NULL_DEFAULT) {
 						return foundDefaultNullness == NONNULL_BY_DEFAULT;
 					}