Index: /applications/editors/josm/plugins/remotecontrol/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/remotecontrol/RequestProcessor.java
===================================================================
--- /applications/editors/josm/plugins/remotecontrol/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/remotecontrol/RequestProcessor.java	(revision 16960)
+++ /applications/editors/josm/plugins/remotecontrol/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/remotecontrol/RequestProcessor.java	(revision 16961)
@@ -148,5 +148,7 @@
 
                     // find out whether some data has already been downloaded
-                    Area present = Main.main.getCurrentDataSet().getDataSourceArea();
+                    Area present = null;
+                    if (Main.main.getCurrentDataSet() != null)
+                    	present = Main.main.getCurrentDataSet().getDataSourceArea();
                     if (present != null && !present.isEmpty()) {
                         Area toDownload = new Area(new Rectangle2D.Double(minlon,minlat,maxlon-minlon,maxlat-minlat));