diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/player/PlayerView.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/player/PlayerView.java
index 97cbd788579..36805905d79 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/player/PlayerView.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/player/PlayerView.java
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ public class PlayerView extends GameEntityView {
     }
 
     public String getLobbyPlayerName() {
-        if (get(TrackableProperty.LobbyPlayerName) == null)
-            return ""; //todo find the root cause why this would return null after succesful start of game and could freeze the UI?
         return get(TrackableProperty.LobbyPlayerName);
     }
     void updateLobbyPlayerName(Player p) {
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/AbstractGuiGame.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/AbstractGuiGame.java
index f42aa402700..1ec1bbc51ea 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/AbstractGuiGame.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/match/AbstractGuiGame.java
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractGuiGame implements IGuiGame, IMayViewCards {
 
     @Override
     public final void awaitNextInput() {
-        if (awaitNextInputTimer == null) {
+        if (awaitNextInputTimer == null && currentPlayer != null) { //Prevent NPE currentPlayer
             awaitNextInputTimer = new Timer("awaitNextInputTimer Game:" + this.gameView.getId() + " Player:" + this.currentPlayer.getLobbyPlayerName());
         }
         //delay updating prompt to await next input briefly so buttons don't flicker disabled then enabled