diff --git a/htroot/Table_API_p.java b/htroot/Table_API_p.java
index d384932a3..19bb52472 100644
--- a/htroot/Table_API_p.java
+++ b/htroot/Table_API_p.java
@@ -72,9 +72,11 @@ public class Table_API_p {
             for (String pk: pks) {
                 try {
                     Tables.Row row = sb.tables.select(WorkTables.TABLE_API_NAME, pk.getBytes());
-                    String url = "http://localhost:" + sb.getConfig("port", "8080") + new String(row.from(WorkTables.TABLE_API_COL_URL));
-                    result = client.GET(url);
-                    l.put(url, result.getStatusCode());
+                    if (row != null) {
+                        String url = "http://localhost:" + sb.getConfig("port", "8080") + new String(row.from(WorkTables.TABLE_API_COL_URL));
+                        result = client.GET(url);
+                        l.put(url, result.getStatusCode());
+                    }
                 } catch (IOException e) {
                     Log.logException(e);
                 }
diff --git a/htroot/Tables_p.java b/htroot/Tables_p.java
index 0d7e77401..70ba9f384 100644
--- a/htroot/Tables_p.java
+++ b/htroot/Tables_p.java
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ public class Tables_p {
         prop.put("showedit_table", table);
         prop.put("showedit_pk", pk);
         Tables.Row row = sb.tables.select(table, pk.getBytes());
+        if (row == null) return;
         int count = 0;
         byte[] cell;
         for (String col: columns) {
diff --git a/source/de/anomic/data/WorkTables.java b/source/de/anomic/data/WorkTables.java
index a1280f811..4420ea2bc 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/data/WorkTables.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/data/WorkTables.java
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ public class WorkTables extends Tables {
                     );
         } catch (IOException e) {
             Log.logException(e);
-        } catch (NullPointerException e) {
-        	Log.logException(e);
         }
         Log.logInfo("APICALL", apiurl);
     }
diff --git a/source/net/yacy/kelondro/blob/Tables.java b/source/net/yacy/kelondro/blob/Tables.java
index 1574f48f2..9e4dac9f3 100644
--- a/source/net/yacy/kelondro/blob/Tables.java
+++ b/source/net/yacy/kelondro/blob/Tables.java
@@ -130,7 +130,13 @@ public class Tables {
     }
     
     private byte[] ukey(String tablename) throws IOException {
-        byte[] pk = select(system_table_pkcounter, tablename.getBytes()).from(system_table_pkcounter_counterName);
+        Row row = select(system_table_pkcounter, tablename.getBytes());
+        if (row == null) {
+            // table counter entry in pkcounter table does not exist: make a new table entry
+            row = new Row(tablename.getBytes(), system_table_pkcounter_counterName, int2key(0).getBytes());
+            insert(system_table_pkcounter, row);
+        }
+        byte[] pk = row.from(system_table_pkcounter_counterName);
         int pki;
         if (pk == null) {
             pki = size(tablename);
@@ -305,7 +311,8 @@ public class Tables {
     
     public Row select(final String table, byte[] pk) throws IOException {
         BEncodedHeap heap = getHeap(table);
-        return new Row(pk, heap.get(pk));
+        if (heap.has(pk)) return new Row(pk, heap.get(pk));
+        return null;
     }
 
     public void delete(final String table, byte[] pk) throws IOException {
@@ -403,11 +410,25 @@ public class Tables {
         final Map<String, byte[]> map;
         
         public Row(final Map.Entry<byte[], Map<String, byte[]>> entry) {
+            assert entry != null;
+            assert entry.getKey() != null;
+            assert entry.getValue() != null;
             this.pk = entry.getKey();
             this.map = entry.getValue();
         }
         
         public Row(final byte[] pk, final Map<String, byte[]> map) {
+            assert pk != null;
+            assert map != null;
+            this.pk = pk;
+            this.map = map;
+        }
+        
+        public Row(final byte[] pk, String k0, byte[] v0) {
+            assert k0 != null;
+            assert v0 != null;
+            HashMap<String, byte[]> map = new HashMap<String, byte[]>();
+            map.put(k0, v0);
             this.pk = pk;
             this.map = map;
         }