diff --git a/lib/checknullpointer.cpp b/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
index 91bef73fb..491a9c1dd 100644
--- a/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
+++ b/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
@@ -621,6 +621,8 @@ void CheckNullPointer::nullPointerByCheckAndDeRef()
             if (varid == 0)
                 continue;
 
+            const unsigned int linenr = vartok->linenr();
+
             // Check if variable is a pointer. TODO: Use isPointer?
             if (pointerVariables.find(varid) == pointerVariables.end())
                 continue;
@@ -675,7 +677,7 @@ void CheckNullPointer::nullPointerByCheckAndDeRef()
                 if (Token::Match(tok2, "goto|return|continue|break|throw|if|switch"))
                 {
                     if (Token::Match(tok2, "return * %varid%", varid))
-                        nullPointerError(tok2, tok->strAt(3));
+                        nullPointerError(tok2, tok->strAt(3), linenr);
                     break;
                 }
 
@@ -705,7 +707,7 @@ void CheckNullPointer::nullPointerByCheckAndDeRef()
                         ;
 
                     else if (CheckNullPointer::isPointerDeRef(tok2, unknown))
-                        nullPointerError(tok2, pointerName);
+                        nullPointerError(tok2, pointerName, linenr);
 
                     else
                         break;
diff --git a/test/testnullpointer.cpp b/test/testnullpointer.cpp
index 4fc97ead9..3b851c9c8 100644
--- a/test/testnullpointer.cpp
+++ b/test/testnullpointer.cpp
@@ -855,41 +855,41 @@ private:
               "    }\n"
               "    *p = 0;\n"
               "}\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p - otherwise it is redundant to check if p is null at line 2\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void foo(char *p) {\n"
               "    if (NULL == p) {\n"
               "    }\n"
               "    *p = 0;\n"
               "}\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p - otherwise it is redundant to check if p is null at line 2\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void foo(char *p) {\n"
               "    if (p == NULL) {\n"
               "    }\n"
               "    *p = 0;\n"
               "}\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p - otherwise it is redundant to check if p is null at line 2\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void foo(char *p) {\n"
               "    if (p == NULL) {\n"
               "    }\n"
               "    printf(\"%c\", *p);\n"
               "}\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p - otherwise it is redundant to check if p is null at line 2\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void foo(char *p) {\n"
               "    if (p && *p == 0) {\n"
               "    }\n"
               "    printf(\"%c\", *p);\n"
               "}\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p - otherwise it is redundant to check if p is null at line 2\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void foo(char *p) {\n"
               "    if (p && *p == 0) {\n"
               "    } else { *p = 0; }\n"
               "}\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p - otherwise it is redundant to check if p is null at line 2\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void foo(abc *p) {\n"
               "    if (!p) {\n"
@@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ private:
               "    }\n"
               "    *p = 0;\n"
               "}\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:5]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:5]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: p - otherwise it is redundant to check if p is null at line 2\n", errout.str());
 
         // #2467 - unknown macro may terminate the application
         check("void f(Fred *fred) {\n"