diff --git a/src/main/java/org/olat/ims/qti/editor/QTIEditorMainController.java b/src/main/java/org/olat/ims/qti/editor/QTIEditorMainController.java
index 8c306d36371f2f4ab416610304da312d22a33b0d..2440d0daee09f7e803478272d4cd351c1e57b63d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/olat/ims/qti/editor/QTIEditorMainController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/olat/ims/qti/editor/QTIEditorMainController.java
@@ -1227,6 +1227,12 @@ public class QTIEditorMainController extends MainLayoutBasicController implement
 					continue;
 				}
 				
+				CourseNode cn = course.getEditorTreeModel().getCourseNode(element.getUserdata());
+				if(cn == null) {
+					logError("Cannot find course element " + element.getUserdata() + " in course " + course, null);
+					continue;
+				}
+
 				String courseTitle = course.getCourseTitle();
 				StringBuilder stakeHolders = new StringBuilder();
 				
@@ -1249,7 +1255,6 @@ public class QTIEditorMainController extends MainLayoutBasicController implement
 					}
 				}
 
-				CourseNode cn = course.getEditorTreeModel().getCourseNode(element.getUserdata());
 				String courseNodeTitle = cn.getShortTitle();
 				result.append(translate("qti.restricted.course", StringHelper.escapeHtml(courseTitle)));
 				result.append(translate("qti.restricted.node", StringHelper.escapeHtml(courseNodeTitle)));