diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 9ea14f0eb..909bfaebe 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ Fixed bugs:
   StringIndexOutOfBoundsException on all OSes where os.name is shorter
   than seven characters.  Bugzilla Report 18105.
 
+* starteam checkout can now handle deleted labels.  Bugzilla Report 17646.
+
 Other changes:
 --------------
 * The filesetmanifest attribute of <jar> has been reenabled.
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/starteam/TreeBasedTask.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/starteam/TreeBasedTask.java
index bdee983a2..4535ce423 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/starteam/TreeBasedTask.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/starteam/TreeBasedTask.java
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ public abstract class TreeBasedTask extends StarTeamTask {
         for (int i = 0; i < allLabels.length; i++) {
             Label stLabel = allLabels[i];
             log("checking label " + stLabel.getName(), Project.MSG_DEBUG);
-            if (stLabel.getName().equals(this.label)) {
+            if (stLabel != null && !stLabel.isDeleted() && stLabel.getName().equals(this.label)) {
                 if (!stLabel.isRevisionLabel() && !stLabel.isViewLabel()) {
                     throw new BuildException("Unexpected label type.");
                 }