diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/shade/relocation/SimpleRelocator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/shade/relocation/SimpleRelocator.java
index 3837a67b..df51ea24 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/shade/relocation/SimpleRelocator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/shade/relocation/SimpleRelocator.java
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ public String relocatePath( String path )
 
     public String relocateClass( String clazz )
     {
-        return clazz.replaceFirst( pattern, shadedPattern );
+        return rawString ? clazz : clazz.replaceFirst( pattern, shadedPattern );
     }
 
     public String applyToSourceContent( String sourceContent )
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/shade/relocation/SimpleRelocatorTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/shade/relocation/SimpleRelocatorTest.java
index e85972a0..699d1b33 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/shade/relocation/SimpleRelocatorTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/shade/relocation/SimpleRelocatorTest.java
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@
 public class SimpleRelocatorTest
 {
 
+    @Test
+    public void testNoNpeRelocateClass()
+    {
+        new SimpleRelocator( "foo", "bar", null, null, true ).relocateClass( "foo" );
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testCanRelocatePath()
     {