diff --git a/engine/orchestration/src/org/apache/cloudstack/engine/orchestration/NetworkOrchestrator.java b/engine/orchestration/src/org/apache/cloudstack/engine/orchestration/NetworkOrchestrator.java
index 3b7e92a5c06..cdca839fc30 100755
--- a/engine/orchestration/src/org/apache/cloudstack/engine/orchestration/NetworkOrchestrator.java
+++ b/engine/orchestration/src/org/apache/cloudstack/engine/orchestration/NetworkOrchestrator.java
@@ -2424,7 +2424,7 @@ public class NetworkOrchestrator extends ManagerBase implements NetworkOrchestra
         // implement the network
         s_logger.debug("Starting network " + network + "...");
         Pair<NetworkGuru, NetworkVO> implementedNetwork = implementNetwork(networkId, dest, context);
-        if (implementedNetwork.first() == null) {
+        if (implementedNetwork== null || implementedNetwork.first() == null) {
             s_logger.warn("Failed to start the network " + network);
             return false;
         } else {
@@ -3083,6 +3083,9 @@ public class NetworkOrchestrator extends ManagerBase implements NetworkOrchestra
         //2) prepare nic
         if (prepare) {
             Pair<NetworkGuru, NetworkVO> implemented = implementNetwork(nic.getNetworkId(), dest, context);
+            if (implemented == null) {
+                throw new CloudRuntimeException("Failed to prepare the nic as a part of creating nic " + nic + " for vm "+ vm + " due to network " + network + " implement failure");
+            }
             nic = prepareNic(vmProfile, dest, context, nic.getId(), implemented.second());
             s_logger.debug("Nic is prepared successfully for vm " + vm + " in network " + network);
         }
diff --git a/framework/db/test/resources/db.properties b/framework/db/test/resources/db.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cc1215ff35c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/framework/db/test/resources/db.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+# or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+# distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+# to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+# "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# 
+#   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# 
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+# specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+# Just here to make the unit test not blow up
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/IpAddressManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/IpAddressManagerImpl.java
index c45496879f5..2cd544de83d 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/IpAddressManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/IpAddressManagerImpl.java
@@ -1597,7 +1597,7 @@ public class IpAddressManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements IpAddressManage
             s_logger.debug("Implementing network " + guestNetwork + " as a part of network provision for persistent network");
             try {
                 Pair<? extends NetworkGuru, ? extends Network> implementedNetwork = _networkMgr.implementNetwork(guestNetwork.getId(), dest, context);
-                if (implementedNetwork.first() == null) {
+                if (implementedNetwork == null || implementedNetwork.first() == null) {
                     s_logger.warn("Failed to implement the network " + guestNetwork);
                 }
                 guestNetwork = implementedNetwork.second();
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkServiceImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkServiceImpl.java
index 130d05176db..5e231e9ddcc 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkServiceImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkServiceImpl.java
@@ -1309,7 +1309,7 @@ public class NetworkServiceImpl extends ManagerBase implements  NetworkService {
                 ReservationContext context = new ReservationContextImpl(UUID.randomUUID().toString(), journal, callerUser, caller);
                 s_logger.debug("Implementing network " + network + " as a part of network provision for persistent network");
                 Pair<? extends NetworkGuru, ? extends Network> implementedNetwork = _networkMgr.implementNetwork(network.getId(), dest, context);
-                if (implementedNetwork.first() == null) {
+                if (implementedNetwork == null || implementedNetwork.first() == null) {
                     s_logger.warn("Failed to provision the network " + network);
                 }
                 network = implementedNetwork.second();
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManagerImpl.java
index dd3083b3001..0fa5085c0e7 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/vm/UserVmManagerImpl.java
@@ -4559,7 +4559,7 @@ public class UserVmManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements UserVmManager, Vir
                                 s_logger.debug("Implementing the network for account" + newNetwork + " as a part of" + " network provision for persistent networks");
                                 try {
                                     Pair<? extends NetworkGuru, ? extends Network> implementedNetwork = _networkMgr.implementNetwork(newNetwork.getId(), dest, context);
-                                    if (implementedNetwork.first() == null) {
+                                    if (implementedNetwork == null || implementedNetwork.first() == null) {
                                         s_logger.warn("Failed to implement the network " + newNetwork);
                                     }
                                     newNetwork = implementedNetwork.second();