diff --git a/jdk/src/share/classes/sun/swing/SwingUtilities2.java b/jdk/src/share/classes/sun/swing/SwingUtilities2.java
index e786da7fbf6..fc7fbf43f13 100644
--- a/jdk/src/share/classes/sun/swing/SwingUtilities2.java
+++ b/jdk/src/share/classes/sun/swing/SwingUtilities2.java
@@ -270,11 +270,10 @@ public class SwingUtilities2 {
      */
     public static int getLeftSideBearing(JComponent c, FontMetrics fm,
                                          String string) {
-        int res = 0;
-        if (!string.isEmpty()) {
-            res = getLeftSideBearing(c, fm, string.charAt(0));
+        if ((string == null) || (string.length() == 0)) {
+            return 0;
         }
-        return res;
+        return getLeftSideBearing(c, fm, string.charAt(0));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/jdk/test/javax/swing/JMenuItem/7036148/bug7036148.java b/jdk/test/javax/swing/JMenuItem/7036148/bug7036148.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..32199de8ecb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jdk/test/javax/swing/JMenuItem/7036148/bug7036148.java
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+ /*
+ * @test
+ * @bug 7036148
+ * @summary NullPointerException with null JMenu name
+ * @author Alexander Potochkin
+ * @run main bug7036148
+ */
+
+
+import javax.swing.*;
+import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
+
+public class bug7036148 extends JFrame {
+    public bug7036148() {
+        JMenuBar bar = new JMenuBar();
+        Action menuAction = new AbstractAction(null, null){
+            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
+            }
+        };
+        JMenu menu = new JMenu(menuAction);
+        menu.add(new JMenuItem("test"));
+        bar.add(menu);
+        setJMenuBar(bar);
+        pack();
+    }
+
+       public static void main(String[] args) {
+            new bug7036148();
+       }
+}