diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataExport.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataExport.java
index 9765511fb0..4ee4bc92ff 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataExport.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/bulkedit/MetadataExport.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import org.dspace.core.Context;
 import org.dspace.handle.factory.HandleServiceFactory;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.sql.SQLException;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ public class MetadataExport
     {
         // Add all the collections
         List<Collection> collections = community.getCollections();
-        Iterator<Item> result = null;
+        Iterator<Item> result = Collections.<Item>emptyIterator();
         for (Collection collection : collections)
         {
             for (int i = 0; i < indent; i++)