diff --git a/hapi-fhir-validation/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r4/validation/InstanceValidator.java b/hapi-fhir-validation/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r4/validation/InstanceValidator.java
index 826dacb7127..4407a8ed276 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-validation/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r4/validation/InstanceValidator.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-validation/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r4/validation/InstanceValidator.java
@@ -2561,19 +2561,23 @@ public class InstanceValidator extends BaseValidator implements IResourceValidat
         break;
       case CHOICE:
         String itemType=validateQuestionnaireResponseItemType(errors, answer, ns, "Coding", "date", "time", "integer", "string");
-        if (itemType.equals("Coding")) validateAnswerCode(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, false);
-        else if (itemType.equals("date")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "date");
-        else if (itemType.equals("time")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "time");
-        else if (itemType.equals("integer")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "integer");
-        else if (itemType.equals("string")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "string");
+        if (itemType != null) {
+			  if (itemType.equals("Coding")) validateAnswerCode(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, false);
+			  else if (itemType.equals("date")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "date");
+			  else if (itemType.equals("time")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "time");
+			  else if (itemType.equals("integer")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "integer");
+			  else if (itemType.equals("string")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "string");
+		  }
         break;
       case OPENCHOICE:
         itemType=validateQuestionnaireResponseItemType(errors, answer, ns, "Coding", "date", "time", "integer", "string");
-        if (itemType.equals("Coding")) validateAnswerCode(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, true);
-        else if (itemType.equals("date")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "date");
-        else if (itemType.equals("time")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "time");
-        else if (itemType.equals("integer")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "integer");
-        else if (itemType.equals("string")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "string", true);
+        if (itemType != null) {
+			  if (itemType.equals("Coding")) validateAnswerCode(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, true);
+			  else if (itemType.equals("date")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "date");
+			  else if (itemType.equals("time")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "time");
+			  else if (itemType.equals("integer")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "integer");
+			  else if (itemType.equals("string")) checkOption(errors, answer, ns, qsrc, qItem, "string", true);
+		  }
         break;
 			case QUESTION:
 			case NULL: