--- a/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/java/org/mozilla/gecko/GeckoAppShell.java
+++ b/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/java/org/mozilla/gecko/GeckoAppShell.java
@@ -1706,17 +1706,17 @@ public class GeckoAppShell
     private static boolean unlockProfile() {
         // Try to kill any zombie Fennec's that might be running
         GeckoAppShell.killAnyZombies();
 
         // Then force unlock this profile
         final GeckoProfile profile = GeckoThread.getActiveProfile();
         if (profile != null) {
             File lock = profile.getFile(".parentlock");
-            return lock.exists() && lock.delete();
+            return lock != null && lock.exists() && lock.delete();
         }
         return false;
     }
 
     @WrapForJNI(calledFrom = "gecko")
     private static String getProxyForURI(String spec, String scheme, String host, int port) {
         final ProxySelector ps = new ProxySelector();