diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/dataset/DatasetUtil.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/dataset/DatasetUtil.java
index a33caa9f890..4e0a89183da 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/dataset/DatasetUtil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/dataset/DatasetUtil.java
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ public static String getLicenseURI(DatasetVersion dsv) {
 
     public static String getLicenseIcon(DatasetVersion dsv) {
         License license = dsv.getTermsOfUseAndAccess().getLicense();
-        return license != null ? license.getIconUrl().toString() : null;
+        return license != null && license.getIconUrl() != null ? license.getIconUrl().toString() : null;
     }
 
     public static String getLicenseDescription(DatasetVersion dsv) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/license/License.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/license/License.java
index a780bf1c625..a51214837e2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/license/License.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/license/License.java
@@ -84,7 +84,11 @@ public License(String name, String shortDescription, URI uri, URI iconUrl, boole
         this.name = name;
         this.shortDescription = shortDescription;
         this.uri = uri.toASCIIString();
-        this.iconUrl = iconUrl.toASCIIString();
+        if (iconUrl != null) {
+            this.iconUrl = iconUrl.toASCIIString();
+        } else {
+            this.iconUrl = null;
+        }
         this.active = active;
         isDefault = false;
     }
@@ -118,6 +122,9 @@ public void setUri(URI uri) {
     }
 
     public URI getIconUrl() {
+        if (iconUrl == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
         try {
             return new URI(iconUrl);
         } catch (URISyntaxException e) {
@@ -134,7 +141,11 @@ public void setShortDescription(String shortDescription) {
     }
 
     public void setIconUrl(URI iconUrl) {
-        this.iconUrl = iconUrl.toASCIIString();
+        if (iconUrl != null) {
+            this.iconUrl = iconUrl.toASCIIString();
+        } else {
+            this.iconUrl = null;
+        }
     }
 
     public boolean isActive() {
@@ -166,7 +177,7 @@ public boolean equals(Object o) {
         if (this == o) return true;
         if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) return false;
         License license = (License) o;
-        return active == license.active && id.equals(license.id) && name.equals(license.name) && shortDescription.equals(license.shortDescription) && uri.equals(license.uri) && iconUrl.equals(license.iconUrl);
+        return active == license.active && id.equals(license.id) && name.equals(license.name) && shortDescription.equals(license.shortDescription) && uri.equals(license.uri) && Objects.equals(iconUrl, license.iconUrl);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/util/json/JsonPrinter.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/util/json/JsonPrinter.java
index ccde79bf233..ed3460b6759 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/util/json/JsonPrinter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/util/json/JsonPrinter.java
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ public static JsonObjectBuilder json(License license) {
             .add("name", license.getName())
             .add("shortDescription", license.getShortDescription())
             .add("uri", license.getUri().toString())
-            .add("iconUrl", license.getIconUrl().toString())
+            .add("iconUrl", license.getIconUrl() == null ? null : license.getIconUrl().toString())
             .add("active", license.isActive())
             .add("isDefault", license.isDefault());
     }