diff --git a/src/gov/nist/javax/sdp/fields/AttributeField.java b/src/gov/nist/javax/sdp/fields/AttributeField.java
index cb6d62dbb..ff73a69cc 100755
--- a/src/gov/nist/javax/sdp/fields/AttributeField.java
+++ b/src/gov/nist/javax/sdp/fields/AttributeField.java
@@ -183,8 +183,15 @@ public Object clone() {
     public boolean equals(Object that ) {
         if ( ! (that instanceof AttributeField)) return false;
         AttributeField other = (AttributeField) that;
-        return other.getAttribute().getName().equalsIgnoreCase(this.getAttribute().getName()) &&
-                this.getAttribute().getValueAsObject().equals(other.getAttribute().getValueAsObject());
+        boolean equalNames = other.getAttribute().getName().equalsIgnoreCase(this.getAttribute().getName());
+        boolean equalValues;
+        if(this.getAttribute().getValueAsObject() != null) {
+        	equalValues = this.getAttribute().getValueAsObject().equals(other.getAttribute().getValueAsObject());
+        } else {
+        	equalValues = (other.getAttribute().getValueAsObject() == null);
+        }
+        
+        return equalNames && equalValues;
     }
     
     @Override
diff --git a/src/test/gov/nist/javax/sdp/parser/SdpParserTest.java b/src/test/gov/nist/javax/sdp/parser/SdpParserTest.java
index d90af0509..8edf87c8d 100644
--- a/src/test/gov/nist/javax/sdp/parser/SdpParserTest.java
+++ b/src/test/gov/nist/javax/sdp/parser/SdpParserTest.java
@@ -92,7 +92,16 @@ public void testWebRtcSdpParser() throws Exception {
     public void testAttribEquals() throws Exception {
         AttributeField f1 = new AttributeFieldParser("a=sendrecv").attributeField();
         AttributeField f2 = new AttributeFieldParser("a=sendrecv").attributeField();
-        f1.equals(f2);
+        AttributeField f3 = new AttributeFieldParser("a=sendonly").attributeField();
+        AttributeField f4 = new AttributeFieldParser("a=f:sendonly").attributeField();
+        AttributeField f5 = new AttributeFieldParser("a=f:sendonly").attributeField();
+        AttributeField f6 = new AttributeFieldParser("a=ff:sendonly").attributeField();
+        f1.equals(f2); // NPE here Issue 25
+        assertEquals(f1, f2);
+        assertFalse(f2.equals(f3));
+        assertFalse(f4.equals(f3));
+        assertEquals(f5, f4);
+        assertFalse(f5.equals(f6));
     }
 
     public void testSdpParser() throws Exception {