diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ASTGenerator.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ASTGenerator.java
index 5368765e6..feedb41ec 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ASTGenerator.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/ASTGenerator.java
@@ -2495,6 +2495,7 @@ public class ASTGenerator {
 
   protected static ASTNode findLineOfNode(ASTNode node, int lineNumber,
                                         int offset, String name) {
+    if (node == null) return null;
 
     CompilationUnit root = (CompilationUnit) node.getRoot();
 //    log("Inside "+getNodeAsString(node) + " | " + root.getLineNumber(node.getStartPosition()));
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextAreaPainter.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextAreaPainter.java
index 74ae6f714..e457ff903 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextAreaPainter.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/pdex/JavaTextAreaPainter.java
@@ -489,11 +489,9 @@ public class JavaTextAreaPainter extends TextAreaPainter
         setToolTipText(null);
         return super.getToolTipText(event);
       }
-      String s = textArea.getLineText(line);
-      if (s == "") {
-        return event.toString();
 
-      } else if (s.length() == 0) {
+      String s = textArea.getLineText(line);
+      if (s == null || s.isEmpty()) {
         setToolTipText(null);
         return super.getToolTipText(event);