diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/InsertAction.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/InsertAction.java
index a537c883..9d60d611 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/InsertAction.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/InsertAction.java
@@ -132,6 +132,15 @@ public class InsertAction extends AbstractQActionFunction<InsertInput, InsertOut
       ////////////////////////////////////
       InsertOutput insertOutput = insertInterface.execute(insertInput);
 
+      if(insertOutput.getRecords() == null)
+      {
+         ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         // in case the module failed to set record in the output, put an empty list there //
+         // to avoid so many downstream NPE's                                              //
+         ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         insertOutput.setRecords(new ArrayList<>());
+      }
+
       //////////////////////////////
       // log if there were errors //
       //////////////////////////////
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/UpdateAction.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/UpdateAction.java
index a36decd0..69717f4f 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/UpdateAction.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/UpdateAction.java
@@ -137,6 +137,15 @@ public class UpdateAction
       ////////////////////////////////////
       UpdateOutput updateOutput = updateInterface.execute(updateInput);
 
+      if(updateOutput.getRecords() == null)
+      {
+         ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         // in case the module failed to set record in the output, put an empty list there //
+         // to avoid so many downstream NPE's                                              //
+         ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+         updateOutput.setRecords(new ArrayList<>());
+      }
+
       //////////////////////////////
       // log if there were errors //
       //////////////////////////////