diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/binstore/BinaryStorageInterceptor.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/binstore/BinaryStorageInterceptor.java
index f5e4e69cade..9a69570f47f 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/binstore/BinaryStorageInterceptor.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/binstore/BinaryStorageInterceptor.java
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ public class BinaryStorageInterceptor {
 	}
 
 	private void extractLargeBinaries(ServletRequestDetails theRequestDetails, IBaseResource theResource, Pointcut thePoincut) throws IOException {
+		if (theRequestDetails == null) {
+			// RequestDetails will only be null for internal HAPI events.  If externalization is required for them it will need to be done in a different way.
+			return;
+		}
 		IIdType resourceId = theResource.getIdElement();
 		if (!resourceId.hasResourceType() && resourceId.hasIdPart()) {
 			String resourceType = myCtx.getResourceDefinition(theResource).getName();
@@ -145,7 +149,7 @@ public class BinaryStorageInterceptor {
 						newBlobId = myBinaryStorageSvc.newBlobId();
 						List<DeferredBinaryTarget> deferredBinaryTargets = getOrCreateDeferredBinaryStorageMap(theRequestDetails);
 						DeferredBinaryTarget newDeferredBinaryTarget = new DeferredBinaryTarget(newBlobId, nextTarget, data);
-						deferredBinaryTargets.add(newDeferredBinaryTarget);
+							deferredBinaryTargets.add(newDeferredBinaryTarget);
 					}
 
 					myBinaryAccessProvider.replaceDataWithExtension(nextTarget, newBlobId);
@@ -159,9 +163,9 @@ public class BinaryStorageInterceptor {
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	private List<DeferredBinaryTarget> getOrCreateDeferredBinaryStorageMap(ServletRequestDetails theRequestDetails) {
 		List<DeferredBinaryTarget> deferredBinaryTargets = (List<DeferredBinaryTarget>) theRequestDetails.getUserData().get(getDeferredListKey());
-		if (deferredBinaryTargets == null) {
-			deferredBinaryTargets = new ArrayList<>();
-			theRequestDetails.getUserData().put(getDeferredListKey(), deferredBinaryTargets);
+			if (deferredBinaryTargets == null) {
+				deferredBinaryTargets = new ArrayList<>();
+				theRequestDetails.getUserData().put(getDeferredListKey(), deferredBinaryTargets);
 		}
 		return deferredBinaryTargets;
 	}
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/provider/r4/BinaryStorageInterceptorR4Test.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/provider/r4/BinaryStorageInterceptorR4Test.java
index 8fe8fe3e0c1..6a14053e267 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/provider/r4/BinaryStorageInterceptorR4Test.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/provider/r4/BinaryStorageInterceptorR4Test.java
@@ -75,6 +75,28 @@ public class BinaryStorageInterceptorR4Test extends BaseResourceProviderR4Test {
 
 	}
 
+
+	@Test
+	public void testCreateAndRetrieveBinary_ServerAssignedId_ExternalizedBinary_NullServletRequest() {
+
+		// Create a resource with a big enough binary
+		Binary binary = new Binary();
+		binary.setContentType("application/octet-stream");
+		binary.setData(SOME_BYTES);
+		DaoMethodOutcome outcome = myBinaryDao.create(binary);
+
+		// Make sure it was externalized
+		IIdType id = outcome.getId().toUnqualifiedVersionless();
+		String encoded = myFhirCtx.newJsonParser().setPrettyPrint(true).encodeResourceToString(outcome.getResource());
+		ourLog.info("Encoded: {}", encoded);
+		assertThat(encoded, not(containsString(JpaConstants.EXT_EXTERNALIZED_BINARY_ID)));
+		assertThat(encoded, containsString("\"data\""));
+
+		Binary output = myBinaryDao.read(id);
+		assertEquals("application/octet-stream", output.getContentType());
+		assertArrayEquals(SOME_BYTES, output.getData());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testCreateAndRetrieveBinary_ServerAssignedId_NonExternalizedBinary() {