diff --git a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/kernel/JDBCStoreManager.java b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/kernel/JDBCStoreManager.java
index b7b98687e..cb853d426 100644
--- a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/kernel/JDBCStoreManager.java
+++ b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/kernel/JDBCStoreManager.java
@@ -392,6 +392,10 @@ public class JDBCStoreManager
                     for (Iterator itr = ((Collection) coll).iterator();
                         itr.hasNext();) {
                         PersistenceCapable pc = (PersistenceCapable) itr.next();
+
+                        if (pc == null)
+                            continue;
+
                         OpenJPAStateManager sm = (OpenJPAStateManager) pc.
                             pcGetStateManager();
                         FieldMapping[] fmd = ((ClassMapping) sm.getMetaData()).
diff --git a/openjpa-persistence-jdbc/src/test/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/relations/TestChainEntities.java b/openjpa-persistence-jdbc/src/test/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/relations/TestChainEntities.java
index c0c457d4d..2b32fff48 100644
--- a/openjpa-persistence-jdbc/src/test/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/relations/TestChainEntities.java
+++ b/openjpa-persistence-jdbc/src/test/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/relations/TestChainEntities.java
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ public class TestChainEntities extends SingleEMFTestCase {
 	long aid;
 
 	public void setUp () {
-		setUp (ChainEntityA.class, ChainEntityB.class, ChainEntityC.class);
+		setUp (DROP_TABLES,
+		    ChainEntityA.class, ChainEntityB.class, ChainEntityC.class);
 		// Create A
 		ChainEntityA a = new ChainEntityA ();
 		a.setName ("TEST_A");