diff --git a/runtime/class_loader_context.cc b/runtime/class_loader_context.cc
index de9fe22..0bae60a 100644
--- a/runtime/class_loader_context.cc
+++ b/runtime/class_loader_context.cc
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@
   // no dex files. So that we can distinguish the real failures...
   const ArtDexFileLoader dex_file_loader;
   std::vector<ClassLoaderInfo*> work_list;
+  CHECK(class_loader_chain_ != nullptr);
   work_list.push_back(class_loader_chain_.get());
   while (!work_list.empty()) {
     ClassLoaderInfo* info = work_list.back();
@@ -908,7 +909,9 @@
   // collision check.
   if (expected_context.special_shared_library_) {
     // Special case where we are the only entry in the class path.
-    if (class_loader_chain_->parent == nullptr && class_loader_chain_->classpath.size() == 0) {
+    if (class_loader_chain_ != nullptr &&
+        class_loader_chain_->parent == nullptr &&
+        class_loader_chain_->classpath.size() == 0) {
       return VerificationResult::kVerifies;
     }
     return VerificationResult::kForcedToSkipChecks;
diff --git a/runtime/class_loader_context_test.cc b/runtime/class_loader_context_test.cc
index cb3dc65..f3e2ac0 100644
--- a/runtime/class_loader_context_test.cc
+++ b/runtime/class_loader_context_test.cc
@@ -735,6 +735,17 @@
             ClassLoaderContext::VerificationResult::kMismatch);
 }
 
+TEST_F(ClassLoaderContextTest, VerifyClassLoaderContextMatchSpecial) {
+  std::string context_spec = "&";
+  std::unique_ptr<ClassLoaderContext> context = ParseContextWithChecksums(context_spec);
+  // Pretend that we successfully open the dex files to pass the DCHECKS.
+  // (as it's much easier to test all the corner cases without relying on actual dex files).
+  PretendContextOpenedDexFiles(context.get());
+
+  ASSERT_EQ(context->VerifyClassLoaderContextMatch(context_spec),
+            ClassLoaderContext::VerificationResult::kForcedToSkipChecks);
+}
+
 TEST_F(ClassLoaderContextTest, VerifyClassLoaderContextMatchWithSL) {
   std::string context_spec =
       "PCL[a.dex*123:b.dex*456]{PCL[d.dex*321];PCL[e.dex*654]#PCL[f.dex*098:g.dex*999]}"