diff --git a/pkg/compiler/lib/src/compiler.dart b/pkg/compiler/lib/src/compiler.dart
index 7c1d58e9bf1..d567bbaed7c 100644
--- a/pkg/compiler/lib/src/compiler.dart
+++ b/pkg/compiler/lib/src/compiler.dart
@@ -922,7 +922,12 @@ abstract class Compiler implements LibraryLoaderListener {
     library.implementation.forEachLocalMember(enqueueAll);
     library.imports.forEach((ImportElement import) {
       if (import.isDeferred) {
-        world.addToWorkList(import.prefix.loadLibrary);
+        // `import.prefix` and `loadLibrary` may be `null` when the deferred
+        // import has compile-time errors.
+        GetterElement loadLibrary = import.prefix?.loadLibrary;
+        if (loadLibrary != null) {
+          world.addToWorkList(loadLibrary);
+        }
       }
     });
   }
diff --git a/tests/compiler/dart2js/serialization/test_data.dart b/tests/compiler/dart2js/serialization/test_data.dart
index 99e759db373..9d0e67342c6 100644
--- a/tests/compiler/dart2js/serialization/test_data.dart
+++ b/tests/compiler/dart2js/serialization/test_data.dart
@@ -490,6 +490,43 @@ test() {
     'b.dart': '''
 ''',
   }),
+
+  const Test('Deferred without prefix', const {
+    'main.dart': '''
+import 'a.dart';
+
+main() {
+  test();
+}
+''',
+  }, preserializedSourceFiles: const {
+    'a.dart': '''
+import 'b.dart' deferred;
+test() {}
+''',
+    'b.dart': '''
+''',
+  }, expectedErrorCount: 1),
+
+  const Test('Deferred with duplicate prefix', const {
+    'main.dart': '''
+import 'a.dart';
+
+main() {
+  test();
+}
+''',
+  }, preserializedSourceFiles: const {
+    'a.dart': '''
+import 'b.dart' deferred as pre;
+import 'c.dart' deferred as pre;
+test() {}
+''',
+    'b.dart': '''
+''',
+    'c.dart': '''
+''',
+  }, expectedErrorCount: 1),
 ];
 
 class Test {