diff --git a/source/net/yacy/kelondro/io/BufferedRecords.java b/source/net/yacy/kelondro/io/BufferedRecords.java
index 8e7b0f163..529a0697a 100644
--- a/source/net/yacy/kelondro/io/BufferedRecords.java
+++ b/source/net/yacy/kelondro/io/BufferedRecords.java
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public final class BufferedRecords {
      */
     public synchronized void flushBuffer() throws IOException {
         this.flushBuffer0();
-        efs.flushBuffer();
+        if (efs != null) efs.flushBuffer();
     }
     
     private final void flushBuffer0() throws IOException {
diff --git a/source/net/yacy/kelondro/io/Records.java b/source/net/yacy/kelondro/io/Records.java
index 493580193..96ae05dac 100644
--- a/source/net/yacy/kelondro/io/Records.java
+++ b/source/net/yacy/kelondro/io/Records.java
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ public final class Records {
      * write buffer to end of file 
      */
     protected final synchronized void flushBuffer() {
+        if (raf == null) return;
         try {
             raf.seek(raf.length());
             raf.write(this.buffer, 0, this.recordsize * this.buffercount);
@@ -188,10 +189,9 @@ public final class Records {
     }
     
     public final synchronized void close() {
-        flushBuffer();
-        
-        // then close the file
+        // close the file
         if (raf != null) try {
+            flushBuffer();
             raf.close();
         } catch (final IOException e) {
             Log.logException(e);
diff --git a/source/net/yacy/kelondro/table/Table.java b/source/net/yacy/kelondro/table/Table.java
index ae49b229f..23f433a52 100644
--- a/source/net/yacy/kelondro/table/Table.java
+++ b/source/net/yacy/kelondro/table/Table.java
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ public class Table implements Index, Iterable<Row.Entry> {
     }
     
     public void close() {
-        this.file.close();
+        if (this.file != null) this.file.close();
         this.file = null;
         if (this.table != null) this.table.close();
         this.table = null;
@@ -778,7 +778,8 @@ public class Table implements Index, Iterable<Row.Entry> {
 
     public synchronized void clear() throws IOException {
         final File f = file.filename();
-        file.close();
+        this.file.close();
+        this.file = null;
         FileUtils.deletedelete(f);
         
         // make new file