Index: ql/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/ql/parse/ErrorMsg.java =================================================================== --- ql/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/ql/parse/ErrorMsg.java (revision 832511) +++ ql/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hive/ql/parse/ErrorMsg.java Tue Nov 03 11:02:32 PST 2009 @@ -138,6 +138,10 @@ */ public static String findSQLState(String mesg) { + if (mesg == null) { + return GENERIC_ERROR.getSQLState(); + } + //first see if there is a direct match ErrorMsg errorMsg = mesgToErrorMsgMap.get(mesg); if (errorMsg != null) {