diff --git a/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFTextShape.java b/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFTextShape.java
index 1efae0f478..681aaadca8 100644
--- a/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFTextShape.java
+++ b/poi-scratchpad/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hslf/usermodel/HSLFTextShape.java
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ implements TextShape<HSLFShape,HSLFTextParagraph> {
             return -1;
         }
         List<HSLFTextParagraph> paras = HSLFTextParagraph.findTextParagraphs(_txtbox, getSheet());
-        return (paras.isEmpty() || paras.get(0).getIndex() == -1) ? -1 : paras.get(0).getRunType();
+        return (paras == null || paras.isEmpty() || paras.get(0).getIndex() == -1) ? -1 : paras.get(0).getRunType();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test-data/slideshow/6afff8111a22b118d1ed4eba5007c153de0b0ad7.ppt b/test-data/slideshow/6afff8111a22b118d1ed4eba5007c153de0b0ad7.ppt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6bdb60f21a
Binary files /dev/null and b/test-data/slideshow/6afff8111a22b118d1ed4eba5007c153de0b0ad7.ppt differ
diff --git a/test-data/spreadsheet/stress.xls b/test-data/spreadsheet/stress.xls
index 40c8ad9c04..5bf30b98ef 100644
Binary files a/test-data/spreadsheet/stress.xls and b/test-data/spreadsheet/stress.xls differ