Index: magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/test/mock/MockUtil.java
===================================================================
--- magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/test/mock/MockUtil.java	(revision 15102)
+++ magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/test/mock/MockUtil.java	(working copy)
@@ -156,12 +156,16 @@
     }
 
     public static MockContext getSystemMockContext(boolean create) {
-        MockContext ctx = (MockContext) MgnlContext.getSystemContext();
-        if(ctx == null && create){
-            initMockContext();
-            ctx = getSystemMockContext(false);
+        try{
+            MockContext ctx = (MockContext) MgnlContext.getSystemContext();
+            if(ctx == null && create){
+                initMockContext();
+                ctx = getSystemMockContext(false);
+            }
+            return ctx;
+        }catch(Exception exc){
+            return null;
         }
-        return ctx;
     }
 
     public static MockHierarchyManager createHierarchyManager(InputStream propertiesStream) throws IOException, RepositoryException {
@@ -179,7 +183,10 @@
     public static MockHierarchyManager createAndSetHierarchyManager(String repository, InputStream propertiesStream) throws IOException, RepositoryException {
         MockHierarchyManager hm = createHierarchyManager(propertiesStream);
         getMockContext(true).addHierarchyManager(repository, hm);
-        getSystemMockContext(true).addHierarchyManager(repository, hm);
+        MockContext ctx = getSystemMockContext(true);
+        if(ctx!=null){
+            ctx.addHierarchyManager(repository, hm);
+        }
         return hm;
     }