diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/http/DefaultHttpMessage.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/http/DefaultHttpMessage.java
index cec5db3f1f..5c103d8775 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/http/DefaultHttpMessage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/http/DefaultHttpMessage.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 package org.jboss.netty.handler.codec.http;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -207,7 +208,12 @@ public class DefaultHttpMessage implements HttpMessage {
     }
 
     public List<String> getHeaders(final String name) {
-        return headers.get(name);
+        List<String> values = headers.get(name);
+        if (values == null) {
+            return Collections.emptyList();
+        } else {
+            return values;
+        }
     }
 
     public boolean containsHeader(final String name) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/http/HttpMessage.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/http/HttpMessage.java
index 722dd9b122..934d095f7a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/http/HttpMessage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/codec/http/HttpMessage.java
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ public interface HttpMessage {
     /**
      * Returns the header values with the specified header name.
      *
-     * @return the {@link List} of header values of {@code null} if there is
-     *         no such header
+     * @return the {@link List} of header values.  An empty list if there is no
+     *         such header.
      */
     List<String> getHeaders(String name);