diff --git a/prism/src/explicit/ProbModelChecker.java b/prism/src/explicit/ProbModelChecker.java
index 9e3c8108..ebd9881d 100644
--- a/prism/src/explicit/ProbModelChecker.java
+++ b/prism/src/explicit/ProbModelChecker.java
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ public class ProbModelChecker extends StateModelChecker
 	 */
 	public void setSettings(PrismSettings settings) throws PrismException
 	{
+		if (settings == null)
+			return;
+		
 		String s;
 		// PRISM_LIN_EQ_METHOD
 		s = settings.getString(PrismSettings.PRISM_LIN_EQ_METHOD);
diff --git a/prism/src/explicit/StateModelChecker.java b/prism/src/explicit/StateModelChecker.java
index 9c057191..b21726ba 100644
--- a/prism/src/explicit/StateModelChecker.java
+++ b/prism/src/explicit/StateModelChecker.java
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ public class StateModelChecker
 	 */
 	public void setSettings(PrismSettings settings) throws PrismException
 	{
+		if (settings == null)
+			return;
+		
 		verbosity = settings.getBoolean(PrismSettings.PRISM_VERBOSE) ? 10 : 1;
 	}