diff --git a/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java b/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
index 7d5deb249..4ca70ed28 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
@@ -5922,7 +5922,12 @@ public class PApplet implements PConstants {
    */
   public XML loadXML(String filename, String options) {
     try {
-      return new XML(createReader(filename), options);
+      BufferedReader br = createReader(filename);
+      if (br != null) {
+        return new XML(br, options);
+      } else {
+        br = null;
+      }
 
       // can't use catch-all exception, since it might catch the
       // RuntimeException about the incorrect case sensitivity