diff --git a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/WordListData.java b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/WordListData.java
index 51cd7f840..d8fdebca4 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/WordListData.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/WordListData.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class WordListData extends ComboBoxData<WordListData> {
                 }
             }
             Object multiList1 = ((Map<String, Object>) data).get("multiList");
-            this.multiList = multiList1 instanceof String ? Boolean.parseBoolean((String) multiList1) : (Boolean) multiList1;
+            this.multiList = multiList1 != null && (multiList1 instanceof String ? Boolean.parseBoolean((String) multiList1) : (Boolean) multiList1);
         }
         return this;
     }