Index: /work/eclipse/workspaces/main/castor/src/main/java/org/exolab/castor/persist/ClassMolderHelper.java
===================================================================
--- /work/eclipse/workspaces/main/castor/src/main/java/org/exolab/castor/persist/ClassMolderHelper.java	(revision 6392)
+++ /work/eclipse/workspaces/main/castor/src/main/java/org/exolab/castor/persist/ClassMolderHelper.java	(working copy)
@@ -292,7 +292,9 @@
             identities = origin.getIdentity();
             identities = AbstractMappingLoader.getIdentityColumnNames (identities, origin);
             extendFields = getFullFields(extend);
-            thisFields = clsMap.getClassChoice().getFieldMapping();
+            thisFields = (null != clsMap.getClassChoice()) ? 
+                    clsMap.getClassChoice().getFieldMapping():
+                        new FieldMapping[0];
 
             fieldList = new ArrayList(extendFields.length + thisFields.length
                     - identities.length);