Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/PropertiesDialog.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/PropertiesDialog.java	(revision 1969)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/PropertiesDialog.java	(revision 1970)
@@ -27,4 +27,5 @@
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.TreeMap;
@@ -816,4 +817,7 @@
             OsmDataLayer dataLayer = (OsmDataLayer)newLayer;
             selectionChanged(dataLayer.data.getSelected());
+        } else {
+            List<OsmPrimitive> selection = Collections.emptyList();
+            selectionChanged(selection);
         }
     }
Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/SelectionListDialog.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/SelectionListDialog.java	(revision 1969)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/SelectionListDialog.java	(revision 1970)
@@ -16,5 +16,7 @@
 import java.awt.event.MouseEvent;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 
@@ -377,17 +379,16 @@
             OsmDataLayer dataLayer = (OsmDataLayer)newLayer;
             selectionChanged(dataLayer.data.getSelected());
-
-        }
-
+        } else {
+            List<OsmPrimitive> selection = Collections.emptyList();
+            selectionChanged(selection);
+        }
     }
 
     public void layerAdded(Layer newLayer) {
         // do nothing
-
     }
 
     public void layerRemoved(Layer oldLayer) {
         // do nothing
-
     }
 }