diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/control/nc/work/AbortTasksWork.java b/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/control/nc/work/AbortTasksWork.java
index a078f50..54ac99a 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/control/nc/work/AbortTasksWork.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/control/nc/work/AbortTasksWork.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.dataflow.TaskAttemptId;
+import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.dataset.IDatasetPartitionManager;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.job.JobId;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.control.common.work.AbstractWork;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.control.nc.Joblet;
@@ -46,7 +47,11 @@
         if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
             LOGGER.info("Aborting Tasks: " + jobId + ":" + tasks);
         }
-        ncs.getDatasetPartitionManager().abortReader(jobId);
+        IDatasetPartitionManager dpm = ncs.getDatasetPartitionManager();
+        if (dpm != null) {
+            ncs.getDatasetPartitionManager().abortReader(jobId);
+        }
+
         Map<JobId, Joblet> jobletMap = ncs.getJobletMap();
         Joblet ji = jobletMap.get(jobId);
         if (ji != null) {
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/control/nc/work/NotifyTaskFailureWork.java b/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/control/nc/work/NotifyTaskFailureWork.java
index 8b9d15a..013544d 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/control/nc/work/NotifyTaskFailureWork.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/control/nc/work/NotifyTaskFailureWork.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  */
 package edu.uci.ics.hyracks.control.nc.work;
 
+import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.dataset.IDatasetPartitionManager;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.job.JobId;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.control.common.work.AbstractWork;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.control.nc.NodeControllerService;
@@ -34,7 +35,10 @@
     public void run() {
         try {
             JobId jobId = task.getJobletContext().getJobId();
-            ncs.getDatasetPartitionManager().abortReader(jobId);
+            IDatasetPartitionManager dpm = ncs.getDatasetPartitionManager();
+            if (dpm != null) {
+                dpm.abortReader(jobId);
+            }
             ncs.getClusterController().notifyTaskFailure(jobId, task.getTaskAttemptId(), ncs.getId(), details);
         } catch (Exception e) {
             e.printStackTrace();