diff --git a/services/Archival/FilterLists.Archival.Domain/SeedWork/ValueObject.cs b/services/Archival/FilterLists.Archival.Domain/SeedWork/ValueObject.cs
index 7e0df9426..52119af79 100644
--- a/services/Archival/FilterLists.Archival.Domain/SeedWork/ValueObject.cs
+++ b/services/Archival/FilterLists.Archival.Domain/SeedWork/ValueObject.cs
@@ -17,9 +17,14 @@ protected static bool NotEqualOperator(ValueObject left, ValueObject right)
 
         protected abstract IEnumerable<object> GetEqualityComponents();
 
-        public override bool Equals(object obj)
+        public override bool Equals(object? obj)
         {
-            if (obj?.GetType() != GetType())
+            if (obj is null)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            if (obj.GetType() != GetType())
             {
                 return false;
             }
diff --git a/services/Directory/FilterLists.Directory.Infrastructure/Persistence/SeedExtensions.cs b/services/Directory/FilterLists.Directory.Infrastructure/Persistence/SeedExtensions.cs
index 23fe7c799..1f0221c7d 100644
--- a/services/Directory/FilterLists.Directory.Infrastructure/Persistence/SeedExtensions.cs
+++ b/services/Directory/FilterLists.Directory.Infrastructure/Persistence/SeedExtensions.cs
@@ -34,7 +34,10 @@ public static void HasDataJsonFile<TEntity>(this EntityTypeBuilder entityTypeBui
             var entities = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<IEnumerable<TEntity>>(entitiesJson,
                 new JsonSerializerOptions {PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.CamelCase});
 
-            entityTypeBuilder.HasData((IEnumerable<object>)entities);
+            if (entities != null)
+            {
+                entityTypeBuilder.HasData((IEnumerable<object>)entities);
+            }
         }
     }
 }