diff --git a/src/me/ryanhamshire/GriefPrevention/DatabaseDataStore.java b/src/me/ryanhamshire/GriefPrevention/DatabaseDataStore.java
index dfa8748..c6875fa 100644
--- a/src/me/ryanhamshire/GriefPrevention/DatabaseDataStore.java
+++ b/src/me/ryanhamshire/GriefPrevention/DatabaseDataStore.java
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ public class DatabaseDataStore extends DataStore
 				}
 				catch(Exception e)
 				{
-				    if(e.getMessage().contains("World not found"))
+				    if(e.getMessage() != null && e.getMessage().contains("World not found"))
 				    {
 				        GriefPrevention.AddLogEntry("Failed to load a claim (ID:" + claimID.toString() + ") because its world isn't loaded (yet?).  Please delete the claim or contact the GriefPrevention developer with information about which plugin(s) you're using to load or create worlds.  " + lesserCornerString);
 				        continue;
diff --git a/src/me/ryanhamshire/GriefPrevention/FlatFileDataStore.java b/src/me/ryanhamshire/GriefPrevention/FlatFileDataStore.java
index 67348a0..df7aecd 100644
--- a/src/me/ryanhamshire/GriefPrevention/FlatFileDataStore.java
+++ b/src/me/ryanhamshire/GriefPrevention/FlatFileDataStore.java
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ public class FlatFileDataStore extends DataStore
                 //if there's any problem with the file's content, log an error message and skip it
                 catch(Exception e)
                 {
-                    if(e.getMessage().contains("World not found"))
+                    if(e.getMessage() != null && e.getMessage().contains("World not found"))
                     {
                         GriefPrevention.AddLogEntry("Failed to load a claim " + files[i].getName() + " because its world isn't loaded (yet?).  Please delete the claim file or contact the GriefPrevention developer with information about which plugin(s) you're using to load or create worlds.  " + lesserCornerString);
                         inStream.close();