diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/perforce/P4Base.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/perforce/P4Base.java
index df43b45b4..4ee0af85f 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/perforce/P4Base.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/perforce/P4Base.java
@@ -286,7 +286,8 @@ public abstract class P4Base extends org.apache.tools.ant.Task {
                 try {
                     handler.stop();
                 } catch (Exception e) {
-                    log(e.toString(), Project.MSG_ERR);
+                    log("Error stopping execution framework: " + e.toString(),
+                        Project.MSG_ERR);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/perforce/P4HandlerAdapter.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/perforce/P4HandlerAdapter.java
index 3587a69a9..dd152571e 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/perforce/P4HandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/perforce/P4HandlerAdapter.java
@@ -73,7 +73,11 @@ public abstract class P4HandlerAdapter  implements P4Handler {
      * @see P4Base#execP4Command(String, P4Handler)
      */
     public void stop() {
+        if (myHandler != null) {
+            // might never have been started, forfor example ifif p4
+            // is not on the PATH
         myHandler.stop();
+        }
     }
 
     // CheckStyle:VisibilityModifier OFF - bc