diff --git a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/main/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkItemRepository.java b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/main/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkItemRepository.java
index bd9f66dcf6..bb50c91d34 100644
--- a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/main/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkItemRepository.java
+++ b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/main/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkItemRepository.java
@@ -64,9 +64,12 @@ public static Map<String, WorkDefinitionImpl> getWorkDefinitions(String path, St
 					}
 				}
 				workDefinition.setResults(results);
+
 				workDefinition.setDefaultHandler((String) workDefinitionMap.get("defaultHandler"));
 
-				workDefinition.setDependencies(((List<String>) workDefinitionMap.get("dependencies")).toArray(new String[0]));
+				if(workDefinitionMap.get("dependencies") != null) {
+					workDefinition.setDependencies(((List<String>) workDefinitionMap.get("dependencies")).toArray(new String[0]));
+				}
 
 				if(workDefinitionMap.get("mavenDependencies") != null) {
 					workDefinition.setMavenDependencies(((List<String>) workDefinitionMap.get("mavenDependencies")).toArray(new String[0]));
diff --git a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkDefinitionImplTest.java b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkDefinitionImplTest.java
index 457ece5da1..b85c53c3a0 100644
--- a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkDefinitionImplTest.java
+++ b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkDefinitionImplTest.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public void testServices() throws Exception {
         Map<String, WorkDefinitionImpl> repoResults = WorkItemRepository.getWorkDefinitions(getClass().getResource("repository").toURI().toString());
         assertNotNull(repoResults);
         assertFalse(repoResults.isEmpty());
-        assertEquals(repoResults.size(), 5);
+        assertEquals(repoResults.size(), 6);
 
         WorkDefinitionImpl testServiceOne = repoResults.get("TestServiceOne");
         assertNotNull(testServiceOne);
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ public void testServices() throws Exception {
         assertEquals(3, testServiceFour2.getDependencies().length);
         assertEquals(2, testServiceFour2.getMavenDependencies().length);
         assertEquals("json", testServiceFour2.getWidType());
+
+        // workitem with no dependency defined
+        WorkDefinitionImpl testServiceFive = repoResults.get("TestServiceFive");
+        assertNotNull(testServiceFive);
+        assertEquals("TestServiceFive", testServiceFive.getName());
+        assertEquals("TestServiceFive", testServiceFive.getDisplayName());
+        assertNull(testServiceFive.getDependencies());
+
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkItemRepositoryTest.java b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkItemRepositoryTest.java
index a7c23025b1..2488ac3c28 100644
--- a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkItemRepositoryTest.java
+++ b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/WorkItemRepositoryTest.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public void testGetWorkDefinitions() throws Exception {
         Map<String, WorkDefinitionImpl> repoResults = WorkItemRepository.getWorkDefinitions(getClass().getResource("repository").toURI().toString());
         assertNotNull(repoResults);
         assertFalse(repoResults.isEmpty());
-        assertEquals(repoResults.size(), 5);
+        assertEquals(repoResults.size(), 6);
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/resources/org/jbpm/process/workitem/repository/TestServiceFive/TestServiceFive.wid b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/resources/org/jbpm/process/workitem/repository/TestServiceFive/TestServiceFive.wid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..01c9b23fd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/resources/org/jbpm/process/workitem/repository/TestServiceFive/TestServiceFive.wid
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[  
+   [  
+      "java.util.HashMap",
+      {  
+         "displayName":"TestServiceFive",
+         "name":"TestServiceFive"
+      }
+   ]
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/resources/org/jbpm/process/workitem/repository/index.conf b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/resources/org/jbpm/process/workitem/repository/index.conf
index 544b91f769..45205a94d6 100644
--- a/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/resources/org/jbpm/process/workitem/repository/index.conf
+++ b/jbpm-flow-builder/src/test/resources/org/jbpm/process/workitem/repository/index.conf
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ TestServiceOne
 TestServiceTwo
 TestServiceThree
 TestServiceFour
+TestServiceFive