diff --git a/spine-libgdx/src/com/esotericsoftware/spine/Skeleton.java b/spine-libgdx/src/com/esotericsoftware/spine/Skeleton.java
index 304a82319..f1082eb79 100644
--- a/spine-libgdx/src/com/esotericsoftware/spine/Skeleton.java
+++ b/spine-libgdx/src/com/esotericsoftware/spine/Skeleton.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class Skeleton {
 
 		bones = new Array(skeleton.bones.size);
 		for (Bone bone : skeleton.bones) {
-			Bone parent = bones.get(skeleton.bones.indexOf(bone.parent, true));
+			Bone parent = bone.parent == null ? null : bones.get(skeleton.bones.indexOf(bone.parent, true));
 			bones.add(new Bone(bone, parent));
 		}