diff --git a/artemis-commons/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/utils/PasswordMaskingUtil.java b/artemis-commons/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/utils/PasswordMaskingUtil.java
index be560465f1..796f1d823c 100644
--- a/artemis-commons/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/utils/PasswordMaskingUtil.java
+++ b/artemis-commons/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/utils/PasswordMaskingUtil.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public final class PasswordMaskingUtil {
    }
 
    public static boolean isEncMasked(String password) {
-      return (password.startsWith(BEGIN_ENC) && password.endsWith(END_ENC));
+      return password == null ? false : (password.startsWith(BEGIN_ENC) && password.endsWith(END_ENC));
    }
 
    //remove ENC() from the password body
diff --git a/examples/features/standard/jmx-ssl/src/main/resources/activemq/server0/management.xml b/examples/features/standard/jmx-ssl/src/main/resources/activemq/server0/management.xml
index 802079c88f..dd15e5c218 100644
--- a/examples/features/standard/jmx-ssl/src/main/resources/activemq/server0/management.xml
+++ b/examples/features/standard/jmx-ssl/src/main/resources/activemq/server0/management.xml
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@
          connector-host="localhost"
          secured="true"
          key-store-path="${data.dir}/../etc/server-side-keystore.jks"
-         key-store-password="secureexample"
+         key-store-password="ENC(2a7c211d21c295cdbcde3589c205decb)"
          trust-store-path="${data.dir}/../etc/server-side-truststore.jks"
-         trust-store-password="secureexample"/>
+         trust-store-password="ENC(2a7c211d21c295cdbcde3589c205decb)"/>
    <authorisation>
       <whitelist>
          <entry domain="hawtio"/>