diff --git a/repos/base/include/util/xml_node.h b/repos/base/include/util/xml_node.h
index bada06cea3..518c607d3a 100644
--- a/repos/base/include/util/xml_node.h
+++ b/repos/base/include/util/xml_node.h
@@ -891,15 +891,17 @@ class Genode::Xml_node
 			if (_num_sub_nodes == 0)
 				return;
 
-			Xml_node node = sub_node();
-			for (int i = 0; ; node = node.next()) {
+			try {
+				Xml_node node = sub_node();
+				for (int i = 0; ; node = node.next()) {
 
-				if (!type || node.has_type(type))
-					fn(node);
+					if (!type || node.has_type(type))
+						fn(node);
 
-				if (++i == _num_sub_nodes)
-					break;
-			}
+					if (++i == _num_sub_nodes)
+						break;
+				}
+			} catch (Nonexistent_sub_node) { }
 		}
 
 		/**
diff --git a/repos/base/recipes/pkg/test-xml_node/runtime b/repos/base/recipes/pkg/test-xml_node/runtime
index 8bf46c06ea..dc9d024687 100644
--- a/repos/base/recipes/pkg/test-xml_node/runtime
+++ b/repos/base/recipes/pkg/test-xml_node/runtime
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@
 			[init -> test-xml_node] step 4
 			[init -> test-xml_node] step 5
 			[init -> test-xml_node] 
+			[init -> test-xml_node] -- Test iterating over invalid node --
+			[init -> test-xml_node] 
 			[init -> test-xml_node] --- End of XML-parser test ---*
 			[init] child "test-xml_node" exited with exit value 0
 		</log>
diff --git a/repos/base/src/test/xml_node/test.cc b/repos/base/src/test/xml_node/test.cc
index d9b6146482..d69a298728 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/test/xml_node/test.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/test/xml_node/test.cc
@@ -413,6 +413,13 @@ void Component::construct(Genode::Env &env)
 	test_decoded_content<0   >(env, 5, xml_test_comments, 8, 119);
 	log("");
 
+	log("-- Test iterating over invalid node --");
+	{
+		/* this must not raise a 'Nonexistent_sub_node' exception */
+		Xml_node("<a><b></c></a>").for_each_sub_node("c", [&] (Xml_node) { });
+	}
+	log("");
+
 	log("--- End of XML-parser test ---");
 	env.parent().exit(0);
 }