diff --git a/ext/objspace/objspace.c b/ext/objspace/objspace.c
index 262640d30c..3bfb79dc1f 100644
--- a/ext/objspace/objspace.c
+++ b/ext/objspace/objspace.c
@@ -895,8 +895,13 @@ objspace_internal_class_of(VALUE self, VALUE obj)
 	obj = (VALUE)DATA_PTR(obj);
     }
 
-    klass = CLASS_OF(obj);
-    return wrap_klass_iow(klass);
+    if (RB_TYPE_P(obj, T_IMEMO)) {
+        return Qnil;
+    }
+    else {
+        klass = CLASS_OF(obj);
+        return wrap_klass_iow(klass);
+    }
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/test/objspace/test_objspace.rb b/test/objspace/test_objspace.rb
index f9e6e82e8f..b3f7a56e51 100644
--- a/test/objspace/test_objspace.rb
+++ b/test/objspace/test_objspace.rb
@@ -516,6 +516,11 @@ class TestObjSpace < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_operator i, :>, 0
   end
 
+  def test_internal_class_of_on_ast
+    children = ObjectSpace.reachable_objects_from(RubyVM::AbstractSyntaxTree.parse("kadomatsu"))
+    children.each {|child| ObjectSpace.internal_class_of(child).itself} # this used to crash
+  end
+
   def traverse_super_classes klass
     while klass
       klass = ObjectSpace.internal_super_of(klass)