diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index ae2b0f184c..55d17f755e 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Merged from 1.0:
  * fix race leading to super columns assertion failure (CASSANDRA-3957)
  * ensure that directory is selected for compaction for user-defined
    tasks and upgradesstables (CASSANDRA-3985)
+ * fix NPE on invalid CQL delete command (CASSANDRA-3755)
 
 
 1.1-beta1
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql/DeleteStatement.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql/DeleteStatement.java
index 9de571ed2b..19cbc42eef 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql/DeleteStatement.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql/DeleteStatement.java
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ public class DeleteStatement extends AbstractModification
 
     public List<IMutation> prepareRowMutations(String keyspace, ClientState clientState, Long timestamp, List<ByteBuffer> variables) throws InvalidRequestException
     {
+        CFMetaData metadata = validateColumnFamily(keyspace, columnFamily);
+
         clientState.hasColumnFamilyAccess(columnFamily, Permission.WRITE);
         AbstractType<?> keyType = Schema.instance.getCFMetaData(keyspace, columnFamily).getKeyValidator();
 
@@ -78,18 +80,17 @@ public class DeleteStatement extends AbstractModification
 
         for (Term key : keys)
         {
-            rowMutations.add(mutationForKey(key.getByteBuffer(keyType, variables), keyspace, timestamp, clientState,variables));
+            rowMutations.add(mutationForKey(key.getByteBuffer(keyType, variables), keyspace, timestamp, clientState, variables, metadata));
         }
 
         return rowMutations;
     }
 
-    public RowMutation mutationForKey(ByteBuffer key, String keyspace, Long timestamp, ClientState clientState, List<ByteBuffer> variables)
+    public RowMutation mutationForKey(ByteBuffer key, String keyspace, Long timestamp, ClientState clientState, List<ByteBuffer> variables, CFMetaData metadata)
     throws InvalidRequestException
     {
         RowMutation rm = new RowMutation(keyspace, key);
 
-        CFMetaData metadata = validateColumnFamily(keyspace, columnFamily);
         QueryProcessor.validateKeyAlias(metadata, keyName);
 
         AbstractType<?> comparator = metadata.getComparatorFor(null);
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/DeleteStatement.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/DeleteStatement.java
index 7e322a6819..1e0447450a 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/DeleteStatement.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/DeleteStatement.java
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ public class DeleteStatement extends ModificationStatement
 
     public List<IMutation> getMutations(ClientState clientState, List<ByteBuffer> variables) throws InvalidRequestException
     {
-
         // Check key
         List<Term> keys = processedKeys.get(cfDef.key.name);
         if (keys == null || keys.isEmpty())