diff --git kernel-impl/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/content/impl/CollectionAccessFormatter.java kernel-impl/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/content/impl/CollectionAccessFormatter.java
index b8f8a59..d22f4d1 100644
--- kernel-impl/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/content/impl/CollectionAccessFormatter.java
+++ kernel-impl/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/content/impl/CollectionAccessFormatter.java
@@ -328,7 +328,8 @@ public class CollectionAccessFormatter
 						
 						ContentResource contentResource = (ContentResource) content;
 						long filesize = ((contentResource.getContentLength() - 1) / 1024) + 1;
-						String createdBy = getUserProperty(properties, ResourceProperties.PROP_CREATOR).getDisplayName();
+						User user = getUserProperty(properties, ResourceProperties.PROP_CREATOR);
+						String createdBy = (user != null)? user.getDisplayName(): "Unknown"; // TODO i18n
 						Time modTime = properties.getTimeProperty(ResourceProperties.PROP_MODIFIED_DATE);
 						String modifiedTime = modTime.toStringLocalShortDate() + " " + modTime.toStringLocalShort();
 						String filetype = contentResource.getContentType();