diff --git a/src/main/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/IOBuffer.java b/src/main/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/IOBuffer.java
index 32588c012..4e0752aeb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/IOBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/microsoft/sqlserver/jdbc/IOBuffer.java
@@ -6560,7 +6560,7 @@ private boolean nextPacket() throws SQLServerException {
         if (null == consumedPacket.next) {
             // if the read comes from getNext() and responseBuffering is Adaptive (in this place is), then reset Counter
             // State
-            if (command.getTDSWriter().checkIfTdsMessageTypeIsBatchOrRPC()) {
+            if (null != command && command.getTDSWriter().checkIfTdsMessageTypeIsBatchOrRPC()) {
                 command.getCounter().resetCounter();
             }
             readPacket();