diff --git oak-upgrade/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/BundleLoader.java oak-upgrade/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/BundleLoader.java
index fdfba7a..f90a625 100644
--- oak-upgrade/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/BundleLoader.java
+++ oak-upgrade/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/BundleLoader.java
@@ -59,8 +59,11 @@ class BundleLoader {
     NodePropBundle loadBundle(NodeId id) throws ItemStateException {
         if (loadBundle != null) {
             try {
-                return checkNotNull((NodePropBundle) loadBundle.invoke(pm, id),
-                        "Could not load NodePropBundle for id [%s]", id);
+                NodePropBundle bundle = (NodePropBundle) loadBundle.invoke(pm, id);
+                if (bundle == null){
+                    throw new ItemStateException("Could not load NodePropBundle for id [" + id + "]");
+                }
+                return bundle;
             } catch (InvocationTargetException e) {
                 if (e.getCause() instanceof ItemStateException) {
                     throw (ItemStateException) e.getCause();
@@ -74,7 +77,9 @@ class BundleLoader {
         }
 
         NodeState state = pm.load(id);
-        checkNotNull(state, "Could not load NodeState for id [%s]", id);
+        if (state == null){
+            throw new ItemStateException("Could not load NodeState for id [" + id + "]");
+        }
         NodePropBundle bundle = new NodePropBundle(state);
         for (Name name : state.getPropertyNames()) {
             if (NameConstants.JCR_UUID.equals(name)) {