diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/Splash.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/Splash.java
index be8f175370254c1c49b9efc2f69399785efa1d62..72dbaf348fc8ad393b8846af60763aabe2f1b2f9 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/Splash.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/Splash.java
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
  * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
  * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
  *
- * $Header: //tmp/pathsoft/artemis/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/Splash.java,v 1.19 2006-11-29 10:21:40 tjc Exp $
+ * $Header: //tmp/pathsoft/artemis/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/Splash.java,v 1.20 2006-11-29 10:30:17 tjc Exp $
  */
 
 package uk.ac.sanger.artemis.components;
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ import java.util.Properties;
  *  Base class that creates a generic "Splash Screen"
  *
  *  @author Kim Rutherford <kmr@sanger.ac.uk>
- *  @version $Id: Splash.java,v 1.19 2006-11-29 10:21:40 tjc Exp $
+ *  @version $Id: Splash.java,v 1.20 2006-11-29 10:30:17 tjc Exp $
  **/
 
 abstract public class Splash extends JFrame 
@@ -110,17 +110,20 @@ abstract public class Splash extends JFrame
     final InputStream options_input_stream =
       Splash.class.getResourceAsStream("/etc/log4j.properties");
 
-    Properties logProperties = new Properties();
-    try
-    {
-      logProperties.load(options_input_stream);
-      org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.configure(logProperties);
-    }
-    catch(FileNotFoundException e)
-    {
-    }
-    catch(IOException e)
+    if(options_input_stream != null)
     {
+      Properties logProperties = new Properties();
+      try
+      {
+        logProperties.load(options_input_stream);
+        org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.configure(logProperties);
+      }
+      catch(FileNotFoundException e)
+      {
+      }
+      catch(IOException e)
+      {
+      }
     }
     
     logger4j.debug("Starting application: "+program_name);