diff --git a/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/h2/H2AdminDAO.java b/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/h2/H2AdminDAO.java
index e66d3d0657b8e1e7ed7cb223320aaace93b164bb..1f7f23ec65b8b31d7afd15eea8061ddaae23cbb9 100644
--- a/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/h2/H2AdminDAO.java
+++ b/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/h2/H2AdminDAO.java
@@ -135,13 +135,13 @@ public class H2AdminDAO extends SimpleJdbcDaoSupport implements IDatabaseAdminDA
             throws ConfigurationFailureException
     {
         final File scriptFile = new File(dumpFolder, prefix + "-" + version + SQL_FILE_TYPE);
-        final Script script = new Script(scriptFile.getPath(), FileUtilities.loadToString(scriptFile), version);
-        if (script == null)
+        if (scriptFile.canRead() == false)
         {
             final String message = "No " + prefix + " script found for version " + version;
             operationLog.error(message);
             throw new ConfigurationFailureException(message);
         }
+        final Script script = new Script(scriptFile.getPath(), FileUtilities.loadToString(scriptFile), version);
         return script;
     }
 
diff --git a/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/postgresql/PostgreSQLAdminDAO.java b/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/postgresql/PostgreSQLAdminDAO.java
index 337579a59a22662012852d71380a9ebe2eb7f433..aa69a1e7f2e2e675f2d2f9f36395dd048cd4b991 100644
--- a/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/postgresql/PostgreSQLAdminDAO.java
+++ b/dbmigration/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/dbmigration/postgresql/PostgreSQLAdminDAO.java
@@ -183,13 +183,13 @@ public class PostgreSQLAdminDAO extends SimpleJdbcDaoSupport implements IDatabas
             throws ConfigurationFailureException
     {
         final File scriptFile = new File(dumpFolder, prefix + "-" + version + SQL_FILE_TYPE);
-        final Script script = new Script(scriptFile.getPath(), FileUtilities.loadToString(scriptFile), version);
-        if (script == null)
+        if (scriptFile.canRead() == false)
         {
             final String message = "No " + prefix + " script found for version " + version;
             operationLog.error(message);
             throw new ConfigurationFailureException(message);
         }
+        final Script script = new Script(scriptFile.getPath(), FileUtilities.loadToString(scriptFile), version);
         return script;
     }