diff --git a/service/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/ProjectService.java b/service/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/ProjectService.java
index d083434c250c037a6fef8d8c9252d6391cc47804..5e4a4c98819ae7d51d8ce4af93078d83724468bf 100644
--- a/service/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/ProjectService.java
+++ b/service/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/ProjectService.java
@@ -870,17 +870,16 @@ public class ProjectService implements IProjectService {
 
           modelDao.update(originalModel);
 
-
           if (params.isAnalyzeAnnotations()) {
             analyzeAnnotations(originalModel, params);
           }
           Logger.getRootLogger().removeAppender(appender);
           project.addLoggingInfo(appender);
-          
+
           if (params.isCacheModel()) {
             cacheData(originalModel, params);
           }
-          
+
           updateProjectStatus(project, ProjectStatus.DONE, IProgressUpdater.MAX_PROGRESS, params);
           if (project.getNotifyEmail() != null && !project.getNotifyEmail().equals("")) {
             try {
@@ -1351,7 +1350,10 @@ public class ProjectService implements IProjectService {
   public void updateProject(Project project, String token) throws SecurityException {
     projectDao.update(project);
     if (token != null) {
-      modelService.getLastModelByProjectId(project.getProjectId(), token).setProject(project);
+      Model model = modelService.getLastModelByProjectId(project.getProjectId(), token);
+      if (model != null) {
+        model.setProject(project);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/service/src/test/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/ProjectServiceTest.java b/service/src/test/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/ProjectServiceTest.java
index f8a4189dd2cfa8ded15629321af962e93d00e98d..3c3b575db147e12db3272fe920516aaa36053af6 100644
--- a/service/src/test/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/ProjectServiceTest.java
+++ b/service/src/test/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/ProjectServiceTest.java
@@ -780,4 +780,20 @@ public class ProjectServiceTest extends ServiceTestFunctions {
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testUpdateProjectWithoutModel() throws Exception {
+    try {
+      createUser();
+
+      Project project = new Project();
+      project.setProjectId(projectId);
+      projectDao.add(project);
+      projectService.updateProject(project, adminToken);
+      projectService.removeProject(project, null, false, adminToken);
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      e.printStackTrace();
+      throw e;
+    }
+  }
+
 }