diff --git a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/datamodel/BlackboardArtifactNode.java b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/datamodel/BlackboardArtifactNode.java
index 056d87bfbd..6479c21cf9 100644
--- a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/datamodel/BlackboardArtifactNode.java
+++ b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/datamodel/BlackboardArtifactNode.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import javax.swing.Action;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.openide.nodes.Sheet;
 import org.openide.util.Lookup;
 import org.openide.util.NbBundle;
@@ -421,7 +422,7 @@ public class BlackboardArtifactNode extends AbstractContentNode<BlackboardArtifa
                 ss.put(new NodeProperty<>(Bundle.BlackboardArtifactNode_createSheet_artifactMD5_name(),
                         Bundle.BlackboardArtifactNode_createSheet_artifactMD5_displayName(),
                         "",
-                        file != null ? file.getMd5Hash() : ""));
+                        file != null ? StringUtils.defaultString(file.getMd5Hash()) : ""));
             }
         } else {
             String dataSourceStr = "";
diff --git a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/datamodel/ContentTagNode.java b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/datamodel/ContentTagNode.java
index 9ce002efc0..745753f2d4 100644
--- a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/datamodel/ContentTagNode.java
+++ b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/datamodel/ContentTagNode.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import javax.swing.Action;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.openide.nodes.Children;
 import org.openide.nodes.Sheet;
 import org.openide.util.NbBundle;
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ class ContentTagNode extends DisplayableItemNode {
         properties.put(new NodeProperty<>(Bundle.ContentTagNode_createSheet_artifactMD5_name(),
                 Bundle.ContentTagNode_createSheet_artifactMD5_displayName(),
                 "",
-                file != null ? file.getMd5Hash() : ""));
+                file != null ? StringUtils.defaultString(file.getMd5Hash()) : ""));
         return propertySheet;
     }