diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/content/SyncStorageEngine.java b/services/java/com/android/server/content/SyncStorageEngine.java
index 2a57f9e914301..12ee04450a27e 100644
--- a/services/java/com/android/server/content/SyncStorageEngine.java
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/content/SyncStorageEngine.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import android.util.Log;
 import android.util.Pair;
 import android.util.SparseArray;
 import android.util.Xml;
+import android.util.EventLog;
 
 import com.android.internal.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.android.internal.util.ArrayUtils;
@@ -1746,8 +1747,13 @@ public class SyncStorageEngine extends Handler {
                             if ("authority".equals(tagName)) {
                                 authority = parseAuthority(parser, version);
                                 periodicSync = null;
-                                if (authority.ident > highestAuthorityId) {
-                                    highestAuthorityId = authority.ident;
+                                if (authority != null) {
+                                    if (authority.ident > highestAuthorityId) {
+                                        highestAuthorityId = authority.ident;
+                                    }
+                                } else {
+                                    EventLog.writeEvent(0x534e4554, "26513719", -1,
+                                            "Malformed authority");
                                 }
                             } else if (XML_TAG_LISTEN_FOR_TICKLES.equals(tagName)) {
                                 parseListenForTickles(parser);