diff --git a/source/de/anomic/yacy/yacyNewsAction.java b/source/de/anomic/yacy/yacyNewsAction.java
index 4b1817a91..eba34c41b 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/yacy/yacyNewsAction.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/yacy/yacyNewsAction.java
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@ public class yacyNewsAction implements yacyPeerAction {
     
     public void processPeerArrival(yacySeed peer, boolean direct) {
         String recordString = peer.get("news", null);
+        System.out.println("### triggered news arrival from peer " + peer.getName() + ", news " + ((recordString == null) ? "empty" : "attached"));
         if (recordString == null) return;
         yacyNewsRecord record = new yacyNewsRecord(de.anomic.tools.crypt.simpleDecode(recordString, ""));
+        System.out.println("### news arrival from peer " + peer.getName() + ", news=" + record.toString());
         try {
             this.pool.enqueueGlobalNews(record);
         } catch (IOException e) {e.printStackTrace();}
diff --git a/source/de/anomic/yacy/yacyNewsQueue.java b/source/de/anomic/yacy/yacyNewsQueue.java
index 4c39a3440..29ad0100e 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/yacy/yacyNewsQueue.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/yacy/yacyNewsQueue.java
@@ -112,8 +112,10 @@ public class yacyNewsQueue {
     public synchronized yacyNewsRecord topInc() throws IOException {
         if (queueStack.size() == 0) return null;
         yacyNewsRecord entry = pop(0);
-        entry.incDistribution();
-        push(entry);
+        if (entry != null) {
+            entry.incDistribution();
+            push(entry);
+        }
         return entry;
     }