diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 93c018e02..8ef35d4ac 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -1148,8 +1148,6 @@
 
 
             <regex><pattern>.*.checks.imports.CustomImportOrderCheck</pattern><branchRate>98</branchRate><lineRate>100</lineRate></regex>
-
-            <regex><pattern>.*.checks.indentation.ElseHandler</pattern><branchRate>75</branchRate><lineRate>100</lineRate></regex>
             <regex><pattern>.*.checks.indentation.AbstractExpressionHandler</pattern><branchRate>91</branchRate><lineRate>97</lineRate></regex>
             <regex><pattern>.*.checks.indentation.MethodCallLineWrapHandler</pattern><branchRate>0</branchRate><lineRate>0</lineRate></regex>
             <regex><pattern>.*.checks.indentation.ObjectBlockHandler</pattern><branchRate>75</branchRate><lineRate>100</lineRate></regex>
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/checks/indentation/ElseHandler.java b/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/checks/indentation/ElseHandler.java
index 06a193b5e..b5218d909 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/checks/indentation/ElseHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/checks/indentation/ElseHandler.java
@@ -48,15 +48,12 @@ public class ElseHandler extends BlockParentHandler {
         //  } else ...
 
         final DetailAST ifAST = getMainAst().getParent();
-        if (ifAST != null) {
-            final DetailAST slist = ifAST.findFirstToken(TokenTypes.SLIST);
-            if (slist != null) {
-                final DetailAST lcurly = slist.getLastChild();
-                if (lcurly != null
-                    && lcurly.getLineNo() == getMainAst().getLineNo()) {
-                    // indentation checked as part of LITERAL IF check
-                    return;
-                }
+        final DetailAST slist = ifAST.findFirstToken(TokenTypes.SLIST);
+        if (slist != null) {
+            final DetailAST lcurly = slist.getLastChild();
+            if (lcurly.getLineNo() == getMainAst().getLineNo()) {
+                // indentation checked as part of LITERAL IF check
+                return;
             }
         }
         super.checkToplevelToken();