diff --git a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualBinaryData.java b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualBinaryData.java
index ef6d3bc6..7af41af3 100644
--- a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualBinaryData.java
+++ b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualBinaryData.java
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ public class ESIndividualBinaryData extends AbstractEAIndividual implements Inte
     }
 
     public void defaultInit(InterfaceOptimizationProblem prob) {
-    	if (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) ESIndividualDoubleData.defaultInit(m_Genotype, (double[][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange());
+    	if ((prob != null) && (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange) && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) ESIndividualDoubleData.defaultInit(m_Genotype, (double[][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange());
     	else ESIndividualDoubleData.defaultInit(m_Genotype, m_Range);
     }
 /**********************************************************************************************************************
diff --git a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualDoubleData.java b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualDoubleData.java
index b3a6599f..783ba171 100644
--- a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualDoubleData.java
+++ b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualDoubleData.java
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ public class ESIndividualDoubleData extends AbstractEAIndividual implements Inte
     }
     
     public void defaultInit(InterfaceOptimizationProblem prob) {
-    	if (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) ESIndividualDoubleData.defaultInit(m_Genotype, (double[][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange());
+    	if ((prob != null) && (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange) && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) ESIndividualDoubleData.defaultInit(m_Genotype, (double[][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange());
     	else ESIndividualDoubleData.defaultInit(m_Genotype, m_Range);
     }
     
diff --git a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualIntegerData.java b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualIntegerData.java
index 03f3b0a6..49ad2dad 100644
--- a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualIntegerData.java
+++ b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualIntegerData.java
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ public class ESIndividualIntegerData extends AbstractEAIndividual implements Int
 
     public void defaultInit(InterfaceOptimizationProblem prob) {
     	int[][] range = m_Range;
-        if (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) range = (int[][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange();
+        if ((prob != null) && (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange) && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) range = (int[][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange();
     	for (int i = 0; i < this.m_Genotype.length; i++) {
             this.m_Genotype[i] = RNG.randomInt(range[i][0], range[i][1]);
         }
diff --git a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualPermutationData.java b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualPermutationData.java
index 7316da25..231655da 100644
--- a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualPermutationData.java
+++ b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/ESIndividualPermutationData.java
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ public class ESIndividualPermutationData extends AbstractEAIndividual implements
 
 	 public void defaultInit(InterfaceOptimizationProblem prob) {
 		 double[][][] range = m_Range;
-		 if (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) range = (double[][][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange();
+		 if ((prob != null) && (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange) && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) range = (double[][][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange();
 	    	
 		 for (int i = 0; i < this.m_Genotype.length; i++) {
 			 ESIndividualDoubleData.defaultInit(m_Genotype[i], range[i]);
diff --git a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/GIIndividualIntegerData.java b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/GIIndividualIntegerData.java
index a5180348..90b32236 100644
--- a/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/GIIndividualIntegerData.java
+++ b/src/eva2/server/go/individuals/GIIndividualIntegerData.java
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ public class GIIndividualIntegerData extends AbstractEAIndividual implements Int
 
     public void defaultInit(InterfaceOptimizationProblem prob) {
     	int[][] range = m_Range;
-        if (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) range = (int[][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange();
+        if ((prob != null) && (prob instanceof InterfaceHasInitRange) && (((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange()!=null)) range = (int[][])((InterfaceHasInitRange)prob).getInitRange();
     	
         for (int i = 0; i < this.m_Genotype.length; i++) {
             this.m_Genotype[i] = RNG.randomInt(range[i][0], range[i][1]);