diff --git a/expat/lib/expat.h b/expat/lib/expat.h
index 479b6784..ff83ff11 100644
--- a/expat/lib/expat.h
+++ b/expat/lib/expat.h
@@ -943,7 +943,8 @@ XML_GetErrorCode(XML_Parser parser);
    was detected; otherwise the location is the location of the last
    parse event, as described above.
 
-   Note: XML_GetCurrentLineNumber returns 0 to indicate an error
+   Note: XML_GetCurrentLineNumber and XML_GetCurrentColumnNumber
+   return 0 to indicate an error.
    Note: XML_GetCurrentByteIndex returns -1 to indicate an error.
 */
 XMLPARSEAPI(XML_Size) XML_GetCurrentLineNumber(XML_Parser parser);
diff --git a/expat/lib/xmlparse.c b/expat/lib/xmlparse.c
index ae9eb1ce..9b2b6fa6 100644
--- a/expat/lib/xmlparse.c
+++ b/expat/lib/xmlparse.c
@@ -2071,6 +2071,8 @@ XML_GetCurrentLineNumber(XML_Parser parser)
 XML_Size XMLCALL
 XML_GetCurrentColumnNumber(XML_Parser parser)
 {
+  if (parser == NULL)
+    return 0;
   if (eventPtr && eventPtr >= positionPtr) {
     XmlUpdatePosition(encoding, positionPtr, eventPtr, &position);
     positionPtr = eventPtr;