diff --git a/app/src/cc/arduino/packages/UploaderAndMonitorFactory.java b/app/src/cc/arduino/packages/UploaderAndMonitorFactory.java
index 30761ed78..ba6e9d54e 100644
--- a/app/src/cc/arduino/packages/UploaderAndMonitorFactory.java
+++ b/app/src/cc/arduino/packages/UploaderAndMonitorFactory.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import processing.app.debug.TargetBoard;
 public class UploaderAndMonitorFactory {
 
   public Uploader newUploader(TargetBoard board, BoardPort port) {
-    if ("true".equals(board.getPreferences().get("upload.via_ssh")) && "network".equals(port.getProtocol())) {
+    if ("true".equals(board.getPreferences().get("upload.via_ssh")) && port != null && "network".equals(port.getProtocol())) {
       return new SSHUploader(port);
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Sketch.java b/app/src/processing/app/Sketch.java
index 11a63cae7..8cd95d7c4 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Sketch.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Sketch.java
@@ -1692,11 +1692,6 @@ public class Sketch {
 
     BoardPort boardPort = Base.getDiscoveryManager().find(Preferences.get("serial.port"));
 
-    if (boardPort == null) {
-      editor.statusError(I18n.format("Board at {0} is not available", Preferences.get("serial.port")));
-      return false;
-    }
-
     Uploader uploader = new UploaderAndMonitorFactory().newUploader(target.getBoards().get(board), boardPort);
 
     boolean success = false;