diff --git a/spring-ws-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/TransportInputStream.java b/spring-ws-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/TransportInputStream.java
index 9f0c8b19..5a154903 100644
--- a/spring-ws-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/TransportInputStream.java
+++ b/spring-ws-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/TransportInputStream.java
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ public abstract class TransportInputStream extends InputStream {
 
 	@Override
 	public void close() throws IOException {
-		getInputStream().close();
+		if (inputStream != null) {
+			getInputStream().close();
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-ws-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/TransportOutputStream.java b/spring-ws-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/TransportOutputStream.java
index 5c6dd7dd..5748c8e0 100644
--- a/spring-ws-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/TransportOutputStream.java
+++ b/spring-ws-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/TransportOutputStream.java
@@ -45,12 +45,16 @@ public abstract class TransportOutputStream extends OutputStream {
 
 	@Override
 	public void close() throws IOException {
-		getOutputStream().close();
+		if (outputStream != null) {
+			getOutputStream().close();
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void flush() throws IOException {
-		getOutputStream().flush();
+		if (outputStream != null) {
+			getOutputStream().flush();
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override