diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/config/SimpleJsonParser.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/config/SimpleJsonParser.java
index 54b00b3f19..d551d039b0 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/config/SimpleJsonParser.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/config/SimpleJsonParser.java
@@ -37,22 +37,28 @@ public class SimpleJsonParser implements JsonParser {
 
 	@Override
 	public Map<String, Object> parseMap(String json) {
-		if (json.startsWith("{")) {
-			return parseMapInternal(json);
-		}
-		else if (json.trim().equals("")) {
-			return new HashMap<String, Object>();
+		if (json != null) {
+			json = json.trim();
+			if (json.startsWith("{")) {
+				return parseMapInternal(json);
+			}
+			else if (json.equals("")) {
+				return new HashMap<String, Object>();
+			}
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public List<Object> parseList(String json) {
-		if (json.startsWith("[")) {
-			return parseListInternal(json);
-		}
-		else if (json.trim().equals("")) {
-			return new ArrayList<Object>();
+		if (json != null) {
+			json = json.trim();
+			if (json.startsWith("[")) {
+				return parseListInternal(json);
+			}
+			else if (json.trim().equals("")) {
+				return new ArrayList<Object>();
+			}
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/initializer/VcapApplicationContextInitializer.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/initializer/VcapApplicationContextInitializer.java
index f6aa22152c..1b66e800b2 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/initializer/VcapApplicationContextInitializer.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/initializer/VcapApplicationContextInitializer.java
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@ package org.springframework.boot.context.initializer;
 
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.springframework.boot.config.JsonParser;
 import org.springframework.boot.config.JsonParserFactory;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextInitializer;
@@ -83,6 +86,9 @@ import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 public class VcapApplicationContextInitializer implements
 		ApplicationContextInitializer<ConfigurableApplicationContext>, Ordered {
 
+	private static final Log logger = LogFactory
+			.getLog(VcapApplicationContextInitializer.class);
+
 	private static final String VCAP_APPLICATION = "VCAP_APPLICATION";
 
 	private static final String VCAP_SERVICES = "VCAP_SERVICES";
@@ -136,30 +142,54 @@ public class VcapApplicationContextInitializer implements
 	}
 
 	private Properties getPropertiesFromApplication(Environment environment) {
-		Map<String, Object> map = this.parser.parseMap(environment.getProperty(
-				VCAP_APPLICATION, "{}"));
 		Properties properties = new Properties();
-		properties.putAll(map);
+		try {
+			Map<String, Object> map = this.parser.parseMap(environment.getProperty(
+					VCAP_APPLICATION, "{}"));
+			if (map != null) {
+				map = new LinkedHashMap<String, Object>(map);
+				for (String key : map.keySet()) {
+					Object value = map.get(key);
+					if (!(value instanceof String)) {
+						if (value == null) {
+							value = "";
+						}
+						map.put(key, value.toString());
+					}
+				}
+				properties.putAll(map);
+			}
+		}
+		catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+			logger.error("Could not parse VCAP_APPLICATION", e);
+		}
 		return properties;
 	}
 
 	private Properties getPropertiesFromServices(Environment environment) {
-		Map<String, Object> map = this.parser.parseMap(environment.getProperty(
-				VCAP_SERVICES, "{}"));
 		Properties properties = new Properties();
-		for (Object services : map.values()) {
-			@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-			List<Object> list = (List<Object>) services;
-			for (Object object : list) {
-				@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-				Map<String, Object> service = (Map<String, Object>) object;
-				String key = (String) service.get("name");
-				if (key == null) {
-					key = (String) service.get("label");
+		try {
+			Map<String, Object> map = this.parser.parseMap(environment.getProperty(
+					VCAP_SERVICES, "{}"));
+			if (map != null) {
+				for (Object services : map.values()) {
+					@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+					List<Object> list = (List<Object>) services;
+					for (Object object : list) {
+						@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+						Map<String, Object> service = (Map<String, Object>) object;
+						String key = (String) service.get("name");
+						if (key == null) {
+							key = (String) service.get("label");
+						}
+						flatten(properties, service, key);
+					}
 				}
-				flatten(properties, service, key);
 			}
 		}
+		catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+			logger.error("Could not parse VCAP_APPLICATION", e);
+		}
 		return properties;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/initializer/VcapApplicationContextInitializerTests.java b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/initializer/VcapApplicationContextInitializerTests.java
index abf4aad115..33c0dcb454 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/initializer/VcapApplicationContextInitializerTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/initializer/VcapApplicationContextInitializerTests.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package org.springframework.boot.context.initializer;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.boot.TestUtils;
-import org.springframework.boot.context.initializer.VcapApplicationContextInitializer;
 import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext;
 
@@ -45,6 +44,25 @@ public class VcapApplicationContextInitializerTests {
 				.getProperty("vcap.application.instance_id"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testUnparseableApplicationProperties() {
+		ConfigurableApplicationContext context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext();
+		TestUtils.addEnviroment(context, "VCAP_APPLICATION:");
+		this.initializer.initialize(context);
+		assertEquals(null, context.getEnvironment().getProperty("vcap"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNullApplicationProperties() {
+		ConfigurableApplicationContext context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext();
+		TestUtils
+				.addEnviroment(
+						context,
+						"VCAP_APPLICATION:{\"application_users\":null,\"instance_id\":\"bb7935245adf3e650dfb7c58a06e9ece\",\"instance_index\":0,\"version\":\"3464e092-1c13-462e-a47c-807c30318a50\",\"name\":\"foo\",\"uris\":[\"foo.cfapps.io\"],\"started_at\":\"2013-05-29 02:37:59 +0000\",\"started_at_timestamp\":1369795079,\"host\":\"0.0.0.0\",\"port\":61034,\"limits\":{\"mem\":128,\"disk\":1024,\"fds\":16384},\"version\":\"3464e092-1c13-462e-a47c-807c30318a50\",\"name\":\"dsyerenv\",\"uris\":[\"dsyerenv.cfapps.io\"],\"users\":[],\"start\":\"2013-05-29 02:37:59 +0000\",\"state_timestamp\":1369795079}");
+		this.initializer.initialize(context);
+		assertEquals(null, context.getEnvironment().getProperty("vcap"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testServiceProperties() {
 		ConfigurableApplicationContext context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext();