diff --git a/server/AyaNova/biz/ValidateJsonPatch.cs b/server/AyaNova/biz/ValidateJsonPatch.cs
index abb58556..ea60f04f 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/biz/ValidateJsonPatch.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/biz/ValidateJsonPatch.cs
@@ -30,14 +30,15 @@ namespace AyaNova.Biz
                 ProtectedProperties = protectedProperties.Split(new char[1] { ',' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);
             }
 
-            foreach (string Property in ProtectedProperties)
-            {
-                if (objectPatch.Operations.Any(m => m.path == $"/{Property.ToLowerInvariant()}"))
+            if (ProtectedProperties != null)
+                foreach (string Property in ProtectedProperties)
                 {
-                    biz.AddError(ValidationErrorType.NotChangeable, Property);
-                    IsValid = false;
+                    if (objectPatch.Operations.Any(m => m.path == $"/{Property.ToLowerInvariant()}"))
+                    {
+                        biz.AddError(ValidationErrorType.NotChangeable, Property);
+                        IsValid = false;
+                    }
                 }
-            }
 
             //check for in-valid patches
             if (objectPatch.Operations.Any(m => m.path == "/id"))