diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/discovery/FullTextContentStreams.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/discovery/FullTextContentStreams.java
index ee220e5a4f..21468def68 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/discovery/FullTextContentStreams.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/discovery/FullTextContentStreams.java
@@ -76,14 +76,19 @@ public class FullTextContentStreams extends ContentStreamBase {
             if (StringUtils.equals(FULLTEXT_BUNDLE, myBundle.getName())) {
                 // a-ha! grab the text out of the bitstreams
                 List<Bitstream> bitstreams = myBundle.getBitstreams();
+                log.debug("Processing full-text bitstreams. Item handle: " + sourceInfo);
 
                 for (Bitstream fulltextBitstream : emptyIfNull(bitstreams)) {
                     fullTextStreams.add(new FullTextBitstream(sourceInfo, fulltextBitstream));
 
-                    log.debug("Added BitStream: "
-                                  + fulltextBitstream.getStoreNumber() + " "
-                                  + fulltextBitstream.getSequenceID() + " "
-                                  + fulltextBitstream.getName());
+                    if (fulltextBitstream != null) {
+                        log.debug("Added BitStream: "
+                                + fulltextBitstream.getStoreNumber() + " "
+                                + fulltextBitstream.getSequenceID() + " "
+                                + fulltextBitstream.getName());
+                    } else {
+                        log.error("Found a NULL bitstream when processing full-text files: item handle:" + sourceInfo);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -158,16 +163,16 @@ public class FullTextContentStreams extends ContentStreamBase {
         }
 
         public String getContentType(final Context context) throws SQLException {
-            BitstreamFormat format = bitstream.getFormat(context);
+            BitstreamFormat format = bitstream != null ? bitstream.getFormat(context) : null;
             return format == null ? null : StringUtils.trimToEmpty(format.getMIMEType());
         }
 
         public String getFileName() {
-            return StringUtils.trimToEmpty(bitstream.getName());
+            return bitstream != null ? StringUtils.trimToEmpty(bitstream.getName()) : null;
         }
 
         public long getSize() {
-            return bitstream.getSizeBytes();
+            return bitstream != null ? bitstream.getSizeBytes() : -1;
         }
 
         public InputStream getInputStream() throws SQLException, IOException, AuthorizeException {
diff --git a/dspace-oai/src/main/java/org/dspace/xoai/util/ItemUtils.java b/dspace-oai/src/main/java/org/dspace/xoai/util/ItemUtils.java
index 955c3a78c3..35bef8c8d7 100644
--- a/dspace-oai/src/main/java/org/dspace/xoai/util/ItemUtils.java
+++ b/dspace-oai/src/main/java/org/dspace/xoai/util/ItemUtils.java
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@ public class ItemUtils {
             bundle.getElement().add(bitstreams);
             List<Bitstream> bits = b.getBitstreams();
             for (Bitstream bit : bits) {
+                // Check if bitstream is null and log the error
+                if (bit == null) {
+                    log.error("Null bitstream found, check item uuid: " + item.getID());
+                    break;
+                }
                 Element bitstream = create("bitstream");
                 bitstreams.getElement().add(bitstream);
                 String url = "";