diff --git a/src/helma/scripting/fesi/ESUser.java b/src/helma/scripting/fesi/ESUser.java
index 4cfc9e82..32798caa 100644
--- a/src/helma/scripting/fesi/ESUser.java
+++ b/src/helma/scripting/fesi/ESUser.java
@@ -5,13 +5,14 @@ package helma.scripting.fesi;
 
 import helma.framework.core.*;
 import helma.objectmodel.*;
+import helma.objectmodel.db.Node;
 import FESI.Interpreter.*;
 import FESI.Exceptions.*;
 import FESI.Data.*;
 
 /**
  * The ESUser is a special kind of Node object that represents a user of 
- * a HOP application. The actual user session data are kept in class User.
+ * a Helma application. The actual user session data are kept in class User.
  * If the user is logged in as a registered member, the wrapped node represents
  * the user object in the database, while for anonymous surfers the node object 
  * is just a transient node. <p>
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ public class ESUser extends ESNode {
      * Overrides getProperty to return the uid (which is not a regular property)
      */
     public ESValue getProperty (String propname, int hash) throws EcmaScriptException {
+	// if there is a user session object, we expose some of its properties.
+	// Otherwise, we call the parent's class getProperty method.
 	if ("uid".equals (propname)) {
 	    if (user == null || user.getUID () == null)
 	        return ESNull.theNull;
@@ -51,7 +54,7 @@ public class ESUser extends ESNode {
 	    else
 	        return new ESString (user.getSessionID ());
 	}
-	if ("cache".equals (propname))
+	if ("cache".equals (propname) && user != null)
 	    return cacheWrapper;
 	return super.getProperty (propname, hash);
     }
@@ -62,6 +65,10 @@ public class ESUser extends ESNode {
      * own node, but just reach through to the session user object instead.
      */
     public void setNode (INode node) {
+	// this only makes sense if this wrapper represents an active user
+	if (user == null)
+	    return;
+	// set the node on the transient user session object
 	user.setNode (node);
 	if (node != null) {
 	    this.node = node;
@@ -71,8 +78,8 @@ public class ESUser extends ESNode {
 	    this.node = user.getNode ();
 	}
 	// set node handle to wrapped node
-	if (node instanceof helma.objectmodel.db.Node)
-	    handle = ((helma.objectmodel.db.Node) node).getHandle ();
+	if (node instanceof Node)
+	    handle = ((Node) node).getHandle ();
 	else
 	    handle = null;
 	// we don't take over the transient cache from the node,
@@ -80,10 +87,13 @@ public class ESUser extends ESNode {
     }
 
     public void updateNodeFromUser () {
+	// this only makes sense if this wrapper represents an active user
+	if (user == null)
+	    return;
 	node = user.getNode ();
 	// set node handle to wrapped node
-	if (node instanceof helma.objectmodel.db.Node)
-	    handle = ((helma.objectmodel.db.Node) node).getHandle ();
+	if (node instanceof Node)
+	    handle = ((Node) node).getHandle ();
 	else
 	    handle = null;