diff --git a/cql3/error_collector.hh b/cql3/error_collector.hh
index 9a49714c78..2a83d6e042 100644
--- a/cql3/error_collector.hh
+++ b/cql3/error_collector.hh
@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ class error_collector : public error_listener<RecognizerType, ExceptionBaseType>
      */
     const sstring_view _query;
 
+    /**
+     * An empty bitset to be used as a workaround for AntLR null dereference
+     * bug.
+     */
+    static typename ExceptionBaseType::BitsetListType _empty_bit_list;
+
 public:
 
     /**
@@ -144,6 +150,14 @@ private:
             break;
         }
         default:
+            // AntLR Exception class has a bug of dereferencing a null
+            // pointer in the displayRecognitionError. The following
+            // if statement makes sure it will not be null before the
+            // call to that function (displayRecognitionError).
+            // bug reference: https://github.com/antlr/antlr3/issues/191
+            if (!ex->get_expectingSet()) {
+                ex->set_expectingSet(&_empty_bit_list);
+            }
             ex->displayRecognitionError(token_names, msg);
         }
         return msg.str();
@@ -345,4 +359,8 @@ private:
 #endif
 };
 
+template<typename RecognizerType, typename TokenType, typename ExceptionBaseType>
+typename ExceptionBaseType::BitsetListType
+error_collector<RecognizerType,TokenType,ExceptionBaseType>::_empty_bit_list = typename ExceptionBaseType::BitsetListType();
+
 }