diff --git a/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ImageAnalyzerController.java b/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ImageAnalyzerController.java
index 099ad4fbd1..f65fe67429 100644
--- a/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ImageAnalyzerController.java
+++ b/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ImageAnalyzerController.java
@@ -190,7 +190,9 @@ public final class ImageAnalyzerController {
         });
 
         groupManager.getAnalyzedGroups().addListener((Observable o) -> {
-            checkForGroups();
+            if(Case.isCaseOpen()){
+                checkForGroups();
+            }
         });
 
         groupManager.getUnSeenGroups().addListener((Observable observable) -> {
diff --git a/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ImageAnalyzerTopComponent.java b/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ImageAnalyzerTopComponent.java
index 028605ea3b..bd72f11370 100644
--- a/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ImageAnalyzerTopComponent.java
+++ b/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ImageAnalyzerTopComponent.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import org.openide.util.NbBundle.Messages;
 import org.openide.windows.Mode;
 import org.openide.windows.TopComponent;
 import org.openide.windows.WindowManager;
+import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.casemodule.Case;
 import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.coreutils.Logger;
 import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.imageanalyzer.gui.GroupPane;
 import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.imageanalyzer.gui.MetaDataPane;
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ public final class ImageAnalyzerTopComponent extends TopComponent implements Exp
 
     public final static String PREFERRED_ID = "ImageAnalyzerTopComponent";
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(ImageAnalyzerTopComponent.class.getName());
+    private static boolean topComponentInitialized = false;
 
     public static void openTopComponent() {
         //TODO:eventually move to this model, throwing away everything and rebuilding controller groupmanager etc for each case.
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ public final class ImageAnalyzerTopComponent extends TopComponent implements Exp
         //        timeLineController.openTimeLine();
         final ImageAnalyzerTopComponent tc = (ImageAnalyzerTopComponent) WindowManager.getDefault().findTopComponent("ImageAnalyzerTopComponent");
         if (tc != null) {
+            topComponentInitialized = true;
             WindowManager.getDefault().isTopComponentFloating(tc);
             Mode mode = WindowManager.getDefault().findMode("timeline");
             if (mode != null) {
@@ -90,12 +93,14 @@ public final class ImageAnalyzerTopComponent extends TopComponent implements Exp
     }
 
     public static void closeTopComponent() {
-        final TopComponent etc = WindowManager.getDefault().findTopComponent("ImageAnalyzerTopComponent");
-        if (etc != null) {
-            try {
-                etc.close();
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "failed to close ImageAnalyzerTopComponent", e);
+        if(topComponentInitialized){
+            final TopComponent etc = WindowManager.getDefault().findTopComponent("ImageAnalyzerTopComponent");
+            if (etc != null) {
+                try {
+                    etc.close();
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "failed to close ImageAnalyzerTopComponent", e);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -128,7 +133,7 @@ public final class ImageAnalyzerTopComponent extends TopComponent implements Exp
 
         setName(Bundle.CTL_ImageAnalyzerTopComponent());
         setToolTipText(Bundle.HINT_ImageAnalyzerTopComponent());
-
+        
         initComponents();
 
         Platform.runLater(() -> {//initialize jfx ui
diff --git a/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ThumbnailCache.java b/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ThumbnailCache.java
index 66b2b7e337..22f3b42275 100644
--- a/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ThumbnailCache.java
+++ b/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/ThumbnailCache.java
@@ -162,7 +162,11 @@ public enum ThumbnailCache {
         try (InputStream inputStream = new BufferedInputStream(new ReadContentInputStream(file.getAbstractFile()))) {
             final Image thumbnail = new Image(inputStream, MAX_ICON_SIZE, MAX_ICON_SIZE, true, true);
             if (thumbnail.isError()) {  //if there was an error loading the image via JFX, fall back on Swing
-                LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "problem loading image: " + file.getName() + " .", thumbnail.getException());
+                LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "problem loading thumbnail for image: " + file.getName() + " .");
+                // Doing it this way puts the whole stack trace in the console output, which is probably not
+                // needed. There are a significant number of cases where this is expected to fail (bitmaps,
+                // empty files, etc.)
+                //LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "problem loading image: " + file.getName() + " .", thumbnail.getException());
                 return fallbackToSwingImage(file);
             } else { //if the load went successfully, save the thumbnail to disk on a background thread
                 imageSaver.execute(() -> {
diff --git a/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/grouping/GroupManager.java b/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/grouping/GroupManager.java
index 31fc425b82..e86d9c1fd0 100644
--- a/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/grouping/GroupManager.java
+++ b/ImageAnalyzer/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imageanalyzer/grouping/GroupManager.java
@@ -618,6 +618,11 @@ public class GroupManager implements FileUpdateEvent.FileUpdateListener {
      * @param force     true to force a full db query regroup
      */
     public <A extends Comparable<A>> void regroup(final DrawableAttribute<A> groupBy, final GroupSortBy sortBy, final SortOrder sortOrder, Boolean force) {
+
+        if(! Case.isCaseOpen()){
+            return;
+        }
+        
         //only re-query the db if the group by attribute changed or it is forced
         if (groupBy != getGroupBy() || force == true) {
             setGroupBy(groupBy);