diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 7b06c6ab5..8ec3ae7aa 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
 
 ## Other code changes
 
-* no changes
\ No newline at end of file
+* kindling related fixes for terminology stability
diff --git a/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/context/BaseWorkerContext.java b/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/context/BaseWorkerContext.java
index fce726ef8..575e346c4 100644
--- a/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/context/BaseWorkerContext.java
+++ b/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/context/BaseWorkerContext.java
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ import org.hl7.fhir.r5.terminologies.validation.VSCheckerException;
 import org.hl7.fhir.r5.terminologies.validation.ValueSetValidator;
 import org.hl7.fhir.r5.terminologies.ValueSetUtilities;
 import org.hl7.fhir.r5.terminologies.client.TerminologyClientManager;
+import org.hl7.fhir.r5.terminologies.client.TerminologyClientR5;
 import org.hl7.fhir.r5.terminologies.client.TerminologyClientContext;
 import org.hl7.fhir.r5.utils.PackageHackerR5;
 import org.hl7.fhir.r5.utils.ResourceUtilities;
@@ -231,7 +232,7 @@ public abstract class BaseWorkerContext extends I18nBase implements IWorkerConte
   private Object lock = new Object(); // used as a lock for the data that follows
   protected String version; // although the internal resources are all R5, the version of FHIR they describe may not be 
 
-  protected final TerminologyClientManager terminologyClientManager = new TerminologyClientManager(null, UUID.randomUUID().toString());
+  protected final TerminologyClientManager terminologyClientManager = new TerminologyClientManager(new TerminologyClientR5.TerminologyClientR5Factory(), UUID.randomUUID().toString());
   private boolean minimalMemory = false;
 
   private Map<String, Map<String, ResourceProxy>> allResourcesById = new HashMap<String, Map<String, ResourceProxy>>();
diff --git a/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/terminologies/expansion/ValueSetExpander.java b/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/terminologies/expansion/ValueSetExpander.java
index febe4a4f9..73eeb9b8e 100644
--- a/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/terminologies/expansion/ValueSetExpander.java
+++ b/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/terminologies/expansion/ValueSetExpander.java
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ public class ValueSetExpander extends ValueSetProcessBase {
       }
     }
 
-    if (expParams.getParameterBool("includeDesignations")) {
+    if (expParams.getParameterBool("includeDesignations") && designations != null) {
       
       for (ConceptDefinitionDesignationComponent t : designations) {
         if (t != pref && (t.hasLanguage() || t.hasUse()) && t.getValue() != null && passesDesignationFilter(t)) {
@@ -882,6 +882,8 @@ public class ValueSetExpander extends ValueSetProcessBase {
     if (vso.getError() != null) {
       addErrors(vso.getAllErrors());
       throw fail("Unable to expand imported value set "+vs.getUrl()+": " + vso.getError());
+    } else if (vso.getValueset() == null) {
+      throw fail("Unable to expand imported value set "+vs.getUrl()+" but no error");      
     }
     if (vs.hasVersion() || REPORT_VERSION_ANYWAY) {
       UriType u = new UriType(vs.getUrl() + (vs.hasVersion() ? "|"+vs.getVersion() : ""));