diff --git a/compiler-jx/src/main/java/org/apache/royale/compiler/internal/codegen/mxml/royale/MXMLRoyaleEmitter.java b/compiler-jx/src/main/java/org/apache/royale/compiler/internal/codegen/mxml/royale/MXMLRoyaleEmitter.java
index f5e7cba..3dc1a2c 100644
--- a/compiler-jx/src/main/java/org/apache/royale/compiler/internal/codegen/mxml/royale/MXMLRoyaleEmitter.java
+++ b/compiler-jx/src/main/java/org/apache/royale/compiler/internal/codegen/mxml/royale/MXMLRoyaleEmitter.java
@@ -1212,10 +1212,13 @@
         for (IMXMLMetadataNode metadataTag : metadataNodes)
         {
         	IMetaTagNode[] tags = metadataTag.getMetaTagNodes();
-        	for (IMetaTagNode tag : tags)
-        	{
-        		metadataTagNodes.add(tag);
-        	}
+        	//tags (MetaTagNodes) can be null if the parent node is empty (or content is commented out)
+        	if (tags != null) {
+                for (IMetaTagNode tag : tags)
+                {
+                    metadataTagNodes.add(tag);
+                }
+            }
         }
         IMetaTagNode[] metaDataTags = new IMetaTagNode[metadataTagNodes.size()];