diff --git a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Enhanced/Writer.cs b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Enhanced/Writer.cs
index 5ea5fb3b0..db983d5a7 100644
--- a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Enhanced/Writer.cs
+++ b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Enhanced/Writer.cs
@@ -61,10 +61,10 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.Output.FileWriters.Enhanced
 				case Separator.Semicolon: separatorStr = ";"; break;
 			}
 
-			header = writerCfg.Header.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine);
+			header = string.IsNullOrEmpty(writerCfg.Header) ? string.Empty : writerCfg.Header.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine);
 			commonItems = Results.WMeterRsltItemSpec.FromStrArray(writerCfg.CommonItems);
 			testItems = Results.WMeterRsltItemSpec.FromStrArray(writerCfg.SelectedItems);	/// TestID info will be overwritten later on
-			footer = writerCfg.Footer.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine);
+			footer = string.IsNullOrEmpty(writerCfg.Footer) ? string.Empty : writerCfg.Footer.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine);
 		}
 
 
diff --git a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Enhanced/WriterCfgCtrl.cs b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Enhanced/WriterCfgCtrl.cs
index 6a65570df..b00528245 100644
--- a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Enhanced/WriterCfgCtrl.cs
+++ b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Enhanced/WriterCfgCtrl.cs
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.Output.FileWriters.Enhanced
 
         private void headerButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
-			HeaderFooterDlg dlg = new HeaderFooterDlg(true, header.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine));
+			HeaderFooterDlg dlg = new HeaderFooterDlg(true, string.IsNullOrEmpty(header) ? string.Empty : header.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine));
             if (dlg.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
             {
 				header = dlg.EditedText.Replace(Environment.NewLine, "~");
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.Output.FileWriters.Enhanced
 
         private void footerButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
-			HeaderFooterDlg dlg = new HeaderFooterDlg(false, footer.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine));
+			HeaderFooterDlg dlg = new HeaderFooterDlg(false, string.IsNullOrEmpty(footer) ? string.Empty : footer.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine));
             if (dlg.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
             {
 				footer = dlg.EditedText.Replace(Environment.NewLine, "~");
diff --git a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Xml/Writer.cs b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Xml/Writer.cs
index 194988714..facf782c5 100644
--- a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Xml/Writer.cs
+++ b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Xml/Writer.cs
@@ -58,11 +58,11 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.Output.FileWriters.Xml
 				case Separator.Semicolon: separatorStr = ";"; break;
 			}
 
-			header = writerCfg.Header.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine);
+			header = string.IsNullOrEmpty(writerCfg.Header) ? string.Empty : writerCfg.Header.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine);
 			commonItems1 = Results.WMeterRsltItemSpec.FromStrArray(writerCfg.CommonItems1);
 			testItems = Results.WMeterRsltItemSpec.FromStrArray(writerCfg.SelectedItems);	/// TestID info will be overwritten later on
 			commonItems2 = Results.WMeterRsltItemSpec.FromStrArray(writerCfg.CommonItems2);
-			footer = writerCfg.Footer.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine);
+			footer = string.IsNullOrEmpty(writerCfg.Footer) ? string.Empty : writerCfg.Footer.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine);
 		}
 
 
diff --git a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Xml/WriterCfgCtrl.cs b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Xml/WriterCfgCtrl.cs
index 8e2de58bd..db8e5da02 100644
--- a/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Xml/WriterCfgCtrl.cs
+++ b/TestBenchFramework/BenchControl/Output/FileWriters/Xml/WriterCfgCtrl.cs
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.Output.FileWriters.Xml
 
         private void headerButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
-            HeaderFooterDlg dlg = new HeaderFooterDlg(true, header.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine));
+            HeaderFooterDlg dlg = new HeaderFooterDlg(true, string.IsNullOrEmpty(header) ? string.Empty : header.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine));
             if (dlg.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
             {
 				header = dlg.EditedText.Replace(Environment.NewLine, "~");
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ namespace TBF.BenchControl.Output.FileWriters.Xml
 
         private void footerButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
-			HeaderFooterDlg dlg = new HeaderFooterDlg(false, footer.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine));
+			HeaderFooterDlg dlg = new HeaderFooterDlg(false, string.IsNullOrEmpty(footer) ? string.Empty : footer.Replace("~", Environment.NewLine));
             if (dlg.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
             {
 				footer = dlg.EditedText.Replace(Environment.NewLine, "~");
diff --git a/TestBenchFramework/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs b/TestBenchFramework/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
index 059541dec..a53eedbbc 100644
--- a/TestBenchFramework/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
+++ b/TestBenchFramework/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
@@ -29,5 +29,5 @@ using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 //      Build Number
 //      Revision
 //
-[assembly: AssemblyVersion("2.12.475.1")]
-[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("2.12.475.1")]
+[assembly: AssemblyVersion("2.12.476.1")]
+[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("2.12.476.1")]