diff --git a/hydra-main/src/main/java/com/addthis/hydra/job/JobExpand.java b/hydra-main/src/main/java/com/addthis/hydra/job/JobExpand.java
index 71c437983..06fd6f1c1 100644
--- a/hydra-main/src/main/java/com/addthis/hydra/job/JobExpand.java
+++ b/hydra-main/src/main/java/com/addthis/hydra/job/JobExpand.java
@@ -134,10 +134,14 @@ static void registerExpander(String macroName, Class<? extends JobConfigExpander
         } catch (InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException e) {
             log.warn("Class '" + clazz + "' registered for '" + macroName + "' cannot be initialized: " + e, e);
         } catch (ClassCastException e) {
-            log.warn("Class '" + clazz + "' registered for '" + macroName + "' is not JobConfigExpander but '" + o.getClass() + "'");
+            log.warn("Class '" + clazz + "' registered for '" + macroName + "' is not JobConfigExpander but '" + getObjectClassIfNotNull(o) + "'");
         }
     }
 
+     private static String getObjectClassIfNotNull(Object o) {
+        return o != null ? o.getClass().toString() : null;
+    }
+
     private static String macroTemplateParamsHelper(String input, final HashMap<String, String> map)
             throws TokenReplacerOverflowException {
         return new TokenReplacer("%[", "]%") {
diff --git a/hydra-main/src/main/java/com/addthis/hydra/job/spawn/balancer/JobTaskItem.java b/hydra-main/src/main/java/com/addthis/hydra/job/spawn/balancer/JobTaskItem.java
index 225ae46b3..2c84b6f95 100644
--- a/hydra-main/src/main/java/com/addthis/hydra/job/spawn/balancer/JobTaskItem.java
+++ b/hydra-main/src/main/java/com/addthis/hydra/job/spawn/balancer/JobTaskItem.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public JobTask getTask() {
 
     @Override
     public boolean equals(Object o) {
-        if (o.getClass() != getClass()) {
+        if (o == null || o.getClass() != getClass()) {
             return false;
         }
         JobTaskItem item2 = (JobTaskItem) o;