diff --git a/src/main/java/org/olat/core/gui/components/textboxlist/TextBoxListComponent.java b/src/main/java/org/olat/core/gui/components/textboxlist/TextBoxListComponent.java
index 9ccf558d56580a708cac6121ae1856dd3da977df..127590943085a53762498bc33fc54fe02f78f5cc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/olat/core/gui/components/textboxlist/TextBoxListComponent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/olat/core/gui/components/textboxlist/TextBoxListComponent.java
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ public abstract class TextBoxListComponent extends FormBaseComponentImpl {
 
 		String inputId = "textboxlistinput" + getFormDispatchId();
 		String cmd = ureq.getParameter(inputId);
+		if(cmd == null){
+			return;
+		}
 		String[] splitted = cmd.split(",");
 		ArrayList<String> cleanedItemValues = new ArrayList<String>();
 		for (String item : splitted) {