diff --git a/androidmk/parser/scope.go b/androidmk/parser/scope.go
index 5e94ea5..60efac2 100644
--- a/androidmk/parser/scope.go
+++ b/androidmk/parser/scope.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package parser
 
-import "strings"
+import (
+	"strings"
+)
 
 type Scope interface {
 	Get(name string) string
@@ -84,6 +86,9 @@
 	if ret, ok := v.EvalFunction(scope); ok {
 		return ret
 	}
+	if scope == nil {
+		panic("Cannot take the value of a variable in a nil scope")
+	}
 	return scope.Get(v.Name.Value(scope))
 }