diff --git a/marklogic-client-api/src/main/java/com/marklogic/client/datamovement/filter/IncrementalWriteFilter.java b/marklogic-client-api/src/main/java/com/marklogic/client/datamovement/filter/IncrementalWriteFilter.java
index 73f4fd5f9..a78759d50 100644
--- a/marklogic-client-api/src/main/java/com/marklogic/client/datamovement/filter/IncrementalWriteFilter.java
+++ b/marklogic-client-api/src/main/java/com/marklogic/client/datamovement/filter/IncrementalWriteFilter.java
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@ protected final DocumentWriteSet filterDocuments(Context context, Function<Strin
 
 	private String serializeContent(DocumentWriteOperation doc) {
 		String content = HandleAccessor.contentAsString(doc.getContent());
+		if (content == null) {
+			return null;
+		}
 
 		Format format = null;
 		if (doc.getContent() instanceof BaseHandle<?, ?> baseHandle) {
diff --git a/marklogic-client-api/src/main/java/com/marklogic/client/impl/OkHttpServices.java b/marklogic-client-api/src/main/java/com/marklogic/client/impl/OkHttpServices.java
index dc28aa80f..dd24b8dab 100644
--- a/marklogic-client-api/src/main/java/com/marklogic/client/impl/OkHttpServices.java
+++ b/marklogic-client-api/src/main/java/com/marklogic/client/impl/OkHttpServices.java
@@ -5627,14 +5627,12 @@ private void executeRequest(CallResponseImpl responseImpl) {
 			};
 
 			Response response = sendRequestWithRetry(requestBldr, sendRequestFunction, resendableConsumer);
-
+			Objects.requireNonNull(response);
 			if (session != null) {
 				List<ClientCookie> cookies = new ArrayList<>();
-				if (response != null) {
-					for (String setCookie : response.headers(HEADER_SET_COOKIE)) {
-						ClientCookie cookie = parseClientCookie(requestBldr.build().url(), setCookie);
-						cookies.add(cookie);
-					}
+				for (String setCookie : response.headers(HEADER_SET_COOKIE)) {
+					ClientCookie cookie = parseClientCookie(requestBldr.build().url(), setCookie);
+					cookies.add(cookie);
 				}
 				((SessionStateImpl) session).setCookies(cookies);
 			}