--- a/editor/libeditor/HTMLStyleEditor.cpp
+++ b/editor/libeditor/HTMLStyleEditor.cpp
@@ -632,35 +632,43 @@ HTMLEditor::ClearStyle(nsCOMPtr<nsINode>
       secondSplitParent = secondSplitParent->GetParentNode();
     }
     *aOffset = 0;
     rv = SplitStyleAbovePoint(address_of(secondSplitParent),
                               aOffset, aProperty, aAttribute,
                               getter_AddRefs(leftNode),
                               getter_AddRefs(rightNode));
     NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+
+    if (rightNode) {
+      bool bIsEmptyNode;
+      IsEmptyNode(rightNode, &bIsEmptyNode, false, true);
+      if (bIsEmptyNode) {
+        // delete rightNode if it became empty
+        rv = DeleteNode(rightNode);
+        NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (!leftNode) {
+      return NS_OK;
+    }
+
     // should be impossible to not get a new leftnode here
     nsCOMPtr<nsINode> newSelParent = GetLeftmostChild(leftNode);
     if (!newSelParent) {
       newSelParent = leftNode;
     }
     // If rightNode starts with a br, suck it out of right node and into
     // leftNode.  This is so we you don't revert back to the previous style
     // if you happen to click at the end of a line.
     if (savedBR) {
       rv = MoveNode(savedBR, newSelParent, 0);
       NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
     }
-    bool bIsEmptyNode;
-    IsEmptyNode(rightNode, &bIsEmptyNode, false, true);
-    if (bIsEmptyNode) {
-      // delete rightNode if it became empty
-      rv = DeleteNode(rightNode);
-      NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
-    }
     // remove the style on this new hierarchy
     int32_t newSelOffset = 0;
     {
       // Track the point at the new hierarchy.  This is so we can know where
       // to put the selection after we call RemoveStyleInside().
       // RemoveStyleInside() could remove any and all of those nodes, so I
       // have to use the range tracking system to find the right spot to put
       // selection.