diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/KrillIndex.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/KrillIndex.java
index 1ed2b33..6f8682c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/KrillIndex.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/KrillIndex.java
@@ -65,8 +65,7 @@
  * </pre></blockquote>
  * 
  * <p>Properties can be stored in a properies file called
- * <tt>krill.properties</tt>. Relevant properties are
- * <tt>krill.version</tt> and <tt>krill.name</tt>.</p>
+ * <tt>krill.properties</tt>.
  * 
  * @author diewald
  */
@@ -145,16 +144,21 @@
 
     // Some initializations ...
     {
-        Properties prop    = loadProperties();
-        Properties version = loadInfo();
-        this.version = version.getProperty("krill.version");
-        this.name = version.getProperty("krill.name");
+        Properties prop = loadProperties();
+        Properties info = loadInfo();
+        if (info != null) {
+            this.version = info.getProperty("krill.version");
+            this.name = info.getProperty("krill.name");
+        };
 
         // Check for auto commit value
-        String stringProp = prop.getProperty("krill.index.commit.auto");
-        if (stringProp != null) {
+        String autoCommitStr = null;
+        if (prop != null)
+            autoCommitStr = prop.getProperty("krill.index.commit.auto");
+
+        if (autoCommitStr != null) {
             try {
-                this.autoCommit = Integer.parseInt(stringProp);
+                this.autoCommit = Integer.parseInt(autoCommitStr);
             }
             catch (NumberFormatException e) {
                 log.error("krill.index.commit.auto expected to be a numerical value");
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/util/KrillProperties.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/util/KrillProperties.java
index 6d1aec8..82ed821 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/util/KrillProperties.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/util/KrillProperties.java
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 // Todo: Properties may be loaded twice - althogh Java may cache automatically
 public class KrillProperties {
 
-    public static String file = "krill.properties";
+    public static String file  = "krill.properties";
     private static String info = "krill.info";
     private static Properties prop;
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
                     .getResourceAsStream(propFile);
 
                 if (iFile == null) {
-                    log.error(
+                    log.warn(
                               "Cannot find {}. Please create it using \"{}.info\" as template.",
                               propFile, propFile);
                     return null;
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 
                 prop = new Properties();
                 prop.load(iFile);
+                iFile.close();
             }
             catch (IOException e) {
                 log.error(e.getLocalizedMessage());
@@ -67,8 +68,15 @@
         try {
             InputStream iFile = KrillProperties.class.getClassLoader()
                 .getResourceAsStream(info);
+
+            if (iFile == null) {
+                log.error("Cannot find {}.", info);
+                return null;
+            };
+
             Properties prop = new Properties();
             prop.load(iFile);
+            iFile.close();
         }
         catch (IOException e) {
             log.error(e.getLocalizedMessage());