diff --git a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/java/spring/framework/UpgradeSpringFrameworkDependencies.java b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/java/spring/framework/UpgradeSpringFrameworkDependencies.java
index ab4f021c..7431a0d0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/java/spring/framework/UpgradeSpringFrameworkDependencies.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/java/spring/framework/UpgradeSpringFrameworkDependencies.java
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ public String getDescription() {
     String newVersion;
 
     @Override
-    public Validated validate() {
-        Validated validated = super.validate();
+    public Validated<Object> validate() {
+        Validated<Object> validated = super.validate();
         validated = validated.and(Semver.validate(newVersion, null));
         return validated;
     }
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public List<Recipe> getRecipeList() {
         for (String artifact : artifacts51) {
             result.add(new UpgradeDependencyVersion("org.springframework", artifact, newVersion, null, false, null));
         }
-        if (newVersion.startsWith("5.3")) {
+        if (newVersion != null && newVersion.startsWith("5.3")) {
             result.add(new UpgradeDependencyVersion("org.springframework", "spring-r2dbc", newVersion, null, false, null));
         }