diff --git a/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLog.java b/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLog.java
index 58bf8df615e..e8af4298c52 100644
--- a/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLog.java
+++ b/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLog.java
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public class StdErrLog implements Logger
                 tag(d,ms,":DBUG:");
                 format(msg);
                 if (_hideStacks)
-                    format(th.toString());
+                    format(String.valueOf(th));
                 else
                     format(th);
                 System.err.println(_buffer.toString());
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ public class StdErrLog implements Logger
             tag(d,ms,":WARN:");
             format(msg);
             if (_hideStacks)
-                format(th.toString());
+                format(String.valueOf(th));
             else
                 format(th);
             System.err.println(_buffer.toString());
diff --git a/jetty-util/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLogTest.java b/jetty-util/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLogTest.java
index bdda51facd8..f54df1e6b88 100644
--- a/jetty-util/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLogTest.java
+++ b/jetty-util/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLogTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ public class StdErrLogTest extends TestCase
     {
         StdErrLog log = new StdErrLog();
         log.setDebugEnabled(true);
+        log.setHideStacks(true);
         
         try {
             log.info("Testing info(msg,null,null) - {} {}",null,null);
@@ -52,9 +53,9 @@ public class StdErrLogTest extends TestCase
         }
         catch (NullPointerException npe)
         {
-            assertTrue("NullPointerException in StdErrLog.", false);
             System.err.println(npe);
             npe.printStackTrace();
+            assertTrue("NullPointerException in StdErrLog.", false);
         }
     }
 }