diff --git a/src/main/java/forge/card/spellability/SpellPermanent.java b/src/main/java/forge/card/spellability/SpellPermanent.java
index ed875842c93..38422672d12 100644
--- a/src/main/java/forge/card/spellability/SpellPermanent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/forge/card/spellability/SpellPermanent.java
@@ -387,15 +387,11 @@ public class SpellPermanent extends Spell {
         return super.canPlayAI();
     }
 
-    public static boolean checkETBEffects(final Card card, final SpellAbility sa, final ApiType api) {
-        return checkETBEffects(card, sa, api, null);
-    }
-
     public static boolean checkETBEffects(final Card card, final AIPlayer ai) {
         return checkETBEffects(card, null, null, ai);
     }
 
-    private static boolean checkETBEffects(final Card card, final SpellAbility sa, final ApiType api, final AIPlayer ai) {
+    public static boolean checkETBEffects(final Card card, final SpellAbility sa, final ApiType api, final AIPlayer ai) {
         boolean rightapi = false;
 
         if (card.isCreature()
diff --git a/src/main/java/forge/game/ai/AiController.java b/src/main/java/forge/game/ai/AiController.java
index 82615150ef1..1d098e6e27a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/forge/game/ai/AiController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/forge/game/ai/AiController.java
@@ -145,11 +145,8 @@ public class AiController {
         for (final Card c : all) {
             for (final SpellAbility sa : c.getNonManaSpellAbilities()) {
                 if (sa instanceof SpellPermanent) {
-                    // TODO ArsenalNut (13 Oct 2012) added line to set activating player to fix NPE problem
-                    // in checkETBEffects.  There is SpellPermanent.checkETBEffects where the player can be
-                    // directly input but it is currently a private method.
                     sa.setActivatingPlayer(player);
-                    if (SpellPermanent.checkETBEffects(c, sa, ApiType.Counter)) {
+                    if (SpellPermanent.checkETBEffects(c, sa, ApiType.Counter, player)) {
                         spellAbilities.add(sa);
                     }
                 }