diff --git a/history.txt b/history.txt
index df2d610ee3..407332ec61 100644
--- a/history.txt
+++ b/history.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+2014-10-30 zzz
+ * Router: Fix rare NPE building garlic message (ticket #1403)
+
 2014-10-26 zzz
  * SSU: Fix ACK Sender thread dying on corrupt packet
 
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/RouterVersion.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/RouterVersion.java
index 421ff4f630..098e16d499 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/RouterVersion.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/RouterVersion.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public class RouterVersion {
     /** deprecated */
     public final static String ID = "Monotone";
     public final static String VERSION = CoreVersion.VERSION;
-    public final static long BUILD = 16;
+    public final static long BUILD = 17;
 
     /** for example "-test" */
     public final static String EXTRA = "-rc";
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/message/OutboundClientMessageJobHelper.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/message/OutboundClientMessageJobHelper.java
index 08c001e222..bb7cb83a87 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/message/OutboundClientMessageJobHelper.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/message/OutboundClientMessageJobHelper.java
@@ -220,6 +220,11 @@ class OutboundClientMessageJobHelper {
         ackClove.setId(ctx.random().nextLong(I2NPMessage.MAX_ID_VALUE));
         DeliveryStatusMessage dsm = buildDSM(ctx, replyToken);
         GarlicMessage msg = wrapDSM(ctx, skm, dsm);
+        if (msg == null) {
+            if (log.shouldLog(Log.WARN))
+                log.warn("Failed to wrap ack clove");
+            return null;
+        }
         ackClove.setPayload(msg);
         // this does nothing, the clove is not separately encrypted
         //ackClove.setRecipient(ctx.router().getRouterInfo());