diff --git a/qqq-backend-module-api/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/api/actions/BaseAPIActionUtil.java b/qqq-backend-module-api/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/api/actions/BaseAPIActionUtil.java
index cc5d35fb..7dd9f6ca 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-module-api/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/api/actions/BaseAPIActionUtil.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-module-api/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/api/actions/BaseAPIActionUtil.java
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ public class BaseAPIActionUtil
          {
             String wrapperObjectName = getBackendDetails(table).getTableWrapperObjectName();
             jsonObject = JsonUtils.toJSONObject(resultString);
-            if(jsonObject.has(wrapperObjectName))
+            if(jsonObject.has(wrapperObjectName) && !jsonObject.isNull(wrapperObjectName))
             {
                Object o = jsonObject.get(wrapperObjectName);
                if(o instanceof JSONArray jsonArray)
@@ -750,6 +750,10 @@ public class BaseAPIActionUtil
                throw (new QException("Error setting authorization query parameter", e));
             }
          }
+         case CUSTOM ->
+         {
+            handleCustomAuthorization(request);
+         }
          default -> throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unexpected authorization type: " + backendMetaData.getAuthorizationType());
       }
    }
@@ -1398,4 +1402,16 @@ public class BaseAPIActionUtil
       ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
       return (7 * 1024);
    }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   protected void handleCustomAuthorization(HttpRequestBase request) throws QException
+   {
+      ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // nothing to do at this layer, meant to be overridden by subclasses //
+      ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+   }
 }
diff --git a/qqq-backend-module-api/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/api/model/AuthorizationType.java b/qqq-backend-module-api/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/api/model/AuthorizationType.java
index 7e8060f3..9a4f750c 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-module-api/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/api/model/AuthorizationType.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-module-api/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/module/api/model/AuthorizationType.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public enum AuthorizationType
    API_TOKEN,
    BASIC_AUTH_API_KEY,
    BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME_PASSWORD,
+   CUSTOM,
    OAUTH2,
    API_KEY_QUERY_PARAM,
 }