src/java.desktop/macosx/classes/sun/lwawt/macosx/CTrayIcon.java

@@ -206,16 +206,18 @@
             return;
         }
 
         CImage cimage = CImage.getCreator().createFromImage(image, observer);
         boolean imageAutoSize = target.isImageAutoSize();
+        if (cimage != null) {
         cimage.execute(imagePtr -> {
             execute(ptr -> {
                 setNativeImage(ptr, imagePtr, imageAutoSize);
             });
         });
     }
+    }
 
     private native void setNativeImage(final long model, final long nsimage, final boolean autosize);
 
     private void postEvent(final AWTEvent event) {
         SunToolkit.executeOnEventHandlerThread(target, new Runnable() {

@@ -355,11 +357,11 @@
     }
 
     class IconObserver implements ImageObserver {
         @Override
         public boolean imageUpdate(Image image, int flags, int x, int y, int width, int height) {
-            if (image != target.getImage()) // if the image has been changed
+            if (target == null || image != target.getImage()) //if the image has been changed
             {
                 return false;
             }
             if ((flags & (ImageObserver.FRAMEBITS | ImageObserver.ALLBITS |
                           ImageObserver.WIDTH | ImageObserver.HEIGHT)) != 0)