diff --git a/modules/server/src/main/java/org/jboss/wsf/stack/cxf/interceptor/HandlerAuthInterceptor.java b/modules/server/src/main/java/org/jboss/wsf/stack/cxf/interceptor/HandlerAuthInterceptor.java
index 1098c1d31..40bc62a05 100644
--- a/modules/server/src/main/java/org/jboss/wsf/stack/cxf/interceptor/HandlerAuthInterceptor.java
+++ b/modules/server/src/main/java/org/jboss/wsf/stack/cxf/interceptor/HandlerAuthInterceptor.java
@@ -143,11 +143,11 @@ protected void checkAuthorization(MessageContext ctx)
          {
             SecurityContext secCtx = message.get(SecurityContext.class);
             BindingOperationInfo bop = exchange.getBindingOperationInfo();
-            MethodDispatcher md = (MethodDispatcher) exchange.getService().get(MethodDispatcher.class.getName());
             if (bop == null)
             {
                throw MESSAGES.missingBindingOperationForAuthorization();
             }
+            MethodDispatcher md = (MethodDispatcher) exchange.getService().get(MethodDispatcher.class.getName());
             Method method = md.getMethod(bop);
 
             EJBMethodSecurityAttribute attributes = attributeProvider.getSecurityAttributes(method);