diff --git a/packages/nox/src-thyra/NOX_Thyra_Group.C b/packages/nox/src-thyra/NOX_Thyra_Group.C
index 368e48e343b4..235d4d2a8fec 100644
--- a/packages/nox/src-thyra/NOX_Thyra_Group.C
+++ b/packages/nox/src-thyra/NOX_Thyra_Group.C
@@ -635,9 +635,13 @@ NOX::Thyra::Group::applyJacobianTransposeMultiVector(
                  NOX::Abstract::MultiVector& result) const
 {
   if ( !(this->isJacobian()) ) {
-    TEUCHOS_TEST_FOR_EXCEPTION(true, std::logic_error,
-               "NOX Error - Jacobian is not valid.  " <<
-               "Call computeJacobian before calling applyJacobian!");
+    // Should throw if algorithm hasn't updated the Jacobian (force
+    // devs to think about efficiency of reevaluating J within an
+    // algorithm) but a certain application needs this temporarily.
+    const_cast<NOX::Thyra::Group*>(this)->computeJacobian();
+    // TEUCHOS_TEST_FOR_EXCEPTION(true, std::logic_error,
+    //            "NOX Error - Jacobian is not valid.  " <<
+    //            "Call computeJacobian before calling applyJacobian!");
   }
 
   NOX_ASSERT(nonnull(lop_));
diff --git a/packages/panzer/disc-fe/src/Panzer_ModelEvaluator_impl.hpp b/packages/panzer/disc-fe/src/Panzer_ModelEvaluator_impl.hpp
index 0ee307c88733..1f3101881359 100644
--- a/packages/panzer/disc-fe/src/Panzer_ModelEvaluator_impl.hpp
+++ b/packages/panzer/disc-fe/src/Panzer_ModelEvaluator_impl.hpp
@@ -1763,8 +1763,11 @@ evalModelImpl_basic_dgdp_scalar(const Thyra::ModelEvaluatorBase::InArgs<Scalar>
         RCP<panzer::ResponseMESupportBase<panzer::Traits::Tangent> > resp =
           rcp_dynamic_cast<panzer::ResponseMESupportBase<panzer::Traits::Tangent> >(
             responseLibrary_->getResponse<panzer::Traits::Tangent>(responseName));
-        resp->setVector(vec);
-        is_active = true;
+
+        if (nonnull(resp)) {
+          resp->setVector(vec);
+          is_active = true;
+        }
       }
     }