diff --git a/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/GroupsImpl.java b/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/GroupsImpl.java
index d291b1293b..fd67f5e9aa 100644
--- a/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/GroupsImpl.java
+++ b/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/GroupsImpl.java
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ public class GroupsImpl implements Groups
         }
 
         Map<QName, Serializable> props = new HashMap<>();
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(group.getDescription()))
+        if (group.getDescription() != null)
         {
             props.put(ContentModel.PROP_DESCRIPTION, group.getDescription());
         }
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public class GroupsImpl implements Groups
 
         try
         {
-            if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(group.getDescription()))
+            if (group.getDescription() != null)
             {
                 authorityService.setAuthorityDisplayNameAndDescription(groupId, group.getDisplayName(), group.getDescription());
             }
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/permissions/impl/acegi/ACLEntryAfterInvocationProvider.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/permissions/impl/acegi/ACLEntryAfterInvocationProvider.java
index 9185cfa0f8..5888a4b313 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/permissions/impl/acegi/ACLEntryAfterInvocationProvider.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/permissions/impl/acegi/ACLEntryAfterInvocationProvider.java
@@ -424,6 +424,11 @@ public class ACLEntryAfterInvocationProvider implements AfterInvocationProvider,
     @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
     private Pair decide(Authentication authentication, Object object, ConfigAttributeDefinition config, Pair returnedObject) throws AccessDeniedException
     {
+        if (returnedObject.getSecond() != null && !NodeRef.class.isAssignableFrom(returnedObject.getSecond().getClass()))
+        {
+            return returnedObject;
+        }
+
         NodeRef nodeRef = (NodeRef) returnedObject.getSecond();
         decide(authentication, object, config, nodeRef);
         // the noderef was allowed