diff --git a/webconsole/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/webconsole/internal/core/ServicesServlet.java b/webconsole/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/webconsole/internal/core/ServicesServlet.java
index ca3945c..5e101c4 100644
--- a/webconsole/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/webconsole/internal/core/ServicesServlet.java
+++ b/webconsole/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/webconsole/internal/core/ServicesServlet.java
@@ -274,13 +274,19 @@
     {
         try
         {
-            return getBundleContext().getAllServiceReferences( null, null );
+            final ServiceReference[] refs = getBundleContext().getAllServiceReferences( null, null );
+            if ( refs != null )
+            {
+                return refs;
+            }
         }
         catch ( InvalidSyntaxException e )
         {
             log( "Unable to access service reference list.", e );
-            return NO_REFS;
         }
+
+        // no services or invalid filter syntax (unlikely)
+        return NO_REFS;
     }