diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/SetUnrecognized.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/SetUnrecognized.java
index afc49c81a3b..168c5c6e458 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/SetUnrecognized.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/SetUnrecognized.java
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ public Description matchMethodInvocation(MethodInvocationTree tree, VisitorState
     }
     ExpressionTree arg = tree.getArguments().get(0);
     var argSymbol = getSymbol(arg);
+    if (argSymbol == null) {
+      return NO_MATCH;
+    }
     if (!argSymbol.getSimpleName().contentEquals("UNRECOGNIZED")) {
       return NO_MATCH;
     }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/SetUnrecognizedTest.java b/core/src/test/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/SetUnrecognizedTest.java
index 860a4fdb82d..7c55a108c84 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/SetUnrecognizedTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/SetUnrecognizedTest.java
@@ -56,4 +56,19 @@ public void negative() {
             "}")
         .doTest();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void negativeNotEnum() {
+    compilationHelper
+        .addSourceLines(
+            "Test.java",
+            "import com.google.errorprone.bugpatterns.proto.Proto3Test.TestProto3Enum;",
+            "import com.google.errorprone.bugpatterns.proto.Proto3Test.TestProto3Message;",
+            "class Test {",
+            "  void test() {",
+            "    TestProto3Message.newBuilder().setMyString(\"\");",
+            "  }",
+            "}")
+        .doTest();
+  }
 }