diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/dstore/files/DStoreHostFile.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/dstore/files/DStoreHostFile.java
index 9a3761fbe38..163efb5e349 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/dstore/files/DStoreHostFile.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/dstore/files/DStoreHostFile.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public class DStoreHostFile implements IHostFile
 	public String getName()
 	{
 		String type = _element.getType();
-		if (type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_FILTER_DESCRIPTOR))
+		if (type != null && type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_FILTER_DESCRIPTOR))
 		{
 			// filter doesn't separate path from name
 			String path = _element.getName();
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ public class DStoreHostFile implements IHostFile
 	public String getParentPath()
 	{
 		String type = _element.getType();
-		if (type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_FILTER_DESCRIPTOR))
+		if (type != null && type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_FILTER_DESCRIPTOR))
 		{
 			// filter doesn't separate path from name
 			String path = _element.getName();
@@ -179,8 +179,8 @@ public class DStoreHostFile implements IHostFile
 	public boolean isDirectory()
 	{
 		String type = _element.getType();
-		if (type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_FOLDER_DESCRIPTOR)
-				|| type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_VIRTUAL_FOLDER_DESCRIPTOR))
+		if (type != null && (type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_FOLDER_DESCRIPTOR)
+				|| type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_VIRTUAL_FOLDER_DESCRIPTOR)))
 		{
 			return true;
 		}
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ public class DStoreHostFile implements IHostFile
 	public boolean isFile()
 	{
 		String type = _element.getType();
-		if (type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_FILE_DESCRIPTOR)
+		if (type != null && type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_FILE_DESCRIPTOR)
 				|| type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_VIRTUAL_FILE_DESCRIPTOR)
 				|| type.equals(IUniversalDataStoreConstants.UNIVERSAL_ARCHIVE_FILE_DESCRIPTOR))
 		{