diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/AbstractComposableFunctionRegistry.java b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/AbstractComposableFunctionRegistry.java
index b944a6814..363434abb 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/AbstractComposableFunctionRegistry.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/AbstractComposableFunctionRegistry.java
@@ -204,14 +204,14 @@ public abstract class AbstractComposableFunctionRegistry implements FunctionRegi
 	 */
 	protected void register(FunctionRegistration<?> registration, String key) {
 		Object target = registration.getTarget();
-		if (key.equals("uppercase")) {
-			System.out.println();
-		}
 		if (registration.getType() != null) {
 			this.addType(key, registration.getType());
 		}
 		else {
 			FunctionType functionType = findType(registration, key);
+			if (functionType == null) {
+				return; // TODO fixme
+			}
 			this.addType(key, functionType);
 			registration.type(functionType.getType());
 		}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration.java
index 6398ec22b..2e01b60c5 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.springframework.cloud.function.context.config;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Type;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -156,13 +157,17 @@ public class ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration {
 			if (functionType == null) {
 				functionType = functionByNameExist(name)
 						? new FunctionType(functionRegistration.getTarget().getClass())
-						: new FunctionType(
-								FunctionContextUtils.findType(name, this.beanFactory));
+						: this.findType(name);
 			}
 
 			return functionType;
 		}
 
+		private FunctionType findType(String name) {
+			Type type = FunctionContextUtils.findType(name, this.beanFactory);
+			return type == null ? null : new FunctionType(type);
+		}
+
 		// @checkstyle:off
 		/**
 		 * @param initial a registration
diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/FunctionContextUtils.java b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/FunctionContextUtils.java
index aa072183f..3ff0116cd 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/FunctionContextUtils.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/FunctionContextUtils.java
@@ -67,16 +67,17 @@ public abstract class FunctionContextUtils {
 				param = type.getType();
 			}
 			else {
-				Class<?> beanClass = definition.getBeanClass();
+				Class<?> beanClass = definition.hasBeanClass() ? definition.getBeanClass() : null;
 				if (beanClass != null
 						&& !FunctionFactoryMetadata.class.isAssignableFrom(beanClass)) {
 					param = beanClass;
 				}
 				else {
-					// assume FunctionFactoryMetadata
-					FunctionFactoryMetadata<?> factory = (FunctionFactoryMetadata<?>) registry
-							.getBean(name);
-					param = factory.getFactoryMethod().getGenericReturnType();
+					Object bean = registry.getBean(name);
+					// could be FunctionFactoryMetadata. . . TODO investigate and fix
+					if (bean instanceof FunctionFactoryMetadata) {
+						param = ((FunctionFactoryMetadata<?>) bean).getFactoryMethod().getGenericReturnType();
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}