Index: icefaces/core/src/com/icesoft/faces/util/DOMUtils.java
===================================================================
--- icefaces/core/src/com/icesoft/faces/util/DOMUtils.java	(revision 123)
+++ icefaces/core/src/com/icesoft/faces/util/DOMUtils.java	(working copy)
@@ -268,6 +268,12 @@
      */
     public static boolean compareNodes(List nodeDiffs,
                                        Node oldNode, Node newNode) {
+        if (oldNode == null) {
+            return ((newNode != null) ? false : true);
+        }
+        if (newNode == null) {
+            return ((oldNode != null) ? false : true);
+        }
         if (!oldNode.getNodeName().equals(newNode.getNodeName())) {
             //parent node needs to fix this
             nodeDiffs.add(newNode.getParentNode());