diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategy.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategy.java
index 2f8083db3..6aa094180 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategy.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategy.java
@@ -153,7 +153,10 @@ public class SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategy implements NodeTypeStrategy {
 	@Override
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	public <T extends NodeBacked> Class<T> getJavaType(Node node) {         
-		Node subrefNode = node.getSingleRelationship(INSTANCE_OF_RELATIONSHIP_TYPE, Direction.OUTGOING).getEndNode();
+        if (node==null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Node is null");
+        Relationship instanceOfRelationship = node.getSingleRelationship(INSTANCE_OF_RELATIONSHIP_TYPE, Direction.OUTGOING);
+        if (instanceOfRelationship==null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("The node "+node+" is not attached to a type hierarchy.");
+        Node subrefNode = instanceOfRelationship.getEndNode();
 		try {
 			Class<T> clazz = (Class<T>) Class.forName((String) subrefNode.getProperty(SUBREF_CLASS_KEY)).asSubclass(NodeBacked.class);
 			if (log.isDebugEnabled()) log.debug("Found class " + clazz.getSimpleName() + " for node: " + node);
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategyTest.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategyTest.java
index 27fe82960..ad40b5fb0 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategyTest.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/graph/neo4j/support/SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategyTest.java
@@ -73,6 +73,22 @@ public class SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategyTest {
         Assert.assertEquals("type node has property of type Thing.class", Thing.class.getName(), typeNode.getProperty(SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategy.SUBREF_CLASS_KEY));
         Assert.assertEquals("one thing has been created", 1, typeNode.getProperty(SubReferenceNodeTypeStrategy.SUBREFERENCE_NODE_COUNTER_KEY));
     }
+    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void gettingTypeFromNonTypeNodeShouldThrowAnDescriptiveException() throws Exception {
+        Node referenceNode = graphDatabaseContext.getReferenceNode();
+        nodeTypeStrategy.getJavaType(referenceNode);
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void confirmingTypeOfNonTypeNodeShouldThrowAnDescriptiveException() throws Exception {
+        Node referenceNode = graphDatabaseContext.getReferenceNode();
+        nodeTypeStrategy.confirmType(referenceNode,Thing.class);
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void gettingTypeFromNullShouldFail() throws Exception {
+        nodeTypeStrategy.getJavaType(null);
+    }
 
     private Node createThing() {
         Transaction tx = graphDatabaseContext.beginTx();