diff --git a/src/main/java/no/nibio/vips/core/service/ModelResourceImpl.java b/src/main/java/no/nibio/vips/core/service/ModelResourceImpl.java
index 8b3a42cb807ccd9d8cf9e88ed1cab0b74b40a6af..e13f9267530567a8440ee648a44334e97abc4e85 100755
--- a/src/main/java/no/nibio/vips/core/service/ModelResourceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/no/nibio/vips/core/service/ModelResourceImpl.java
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ public class ModelResourceImpl implements ModelResource{
                         )
                 );
             }
-            else if(!List.class.isAssignableFrom(config.getConfigParameter("fieldObservations").getClass()))
+            else if(config.getConfigParameter("fieldObservations") != null && !List.class.isAssignableFrom(config.getConfigParameter("fieldObservations").getClass()))
             {
             	throw new ConfigValidationException("ERROR: fieldObservations must be of type array");
             }