diff --git a/runtime/src/main/scala/akka/grpc/GrpcServiceException.scala b/runtime/src/main/scala/akka/grpc/GrpcServiceException.scala
index 341af487c..433eb0bc4 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/scala/akka/grpc/GrpcServiceException.scala
+++ b/runtime/src/main/scala/akka/grpc/GrpcServiceException.scala
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ package akka.grpc
 import io.grpc.{ Status, StatusRuntimeException }
 import akka.annotation.ApiMayChange
 import akka.grpc.scaladsl.{ Metadata, MetadataBuilder }
-import akka.grpc.internal.{ GrpcMetadataImpl, JavaMetadataImpl, RichGrpcMetadataImpl }
+import akka.grpc.internal.{ JavaMetadataImpl, RichGrpcMetadataImpl }
 import com.google.protobuf.any.Any
 import io.grpc.protobuf.StatusProto
 
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ object GrpcServiceException {
 
     val statusRuntimeException = StatusProto.toStatusRuntimeException(status.build)
 
-    new GrpcServiceException(statusRuntimeException.getStatus, new GrpcMetadataImpl(statusRuntimeException.getTrailers))
+    new GrpcServiceException(
+      statusRuntimeException.getStatus,
+      new RichGrpcMetadataImpl(statusRuntimeException.getStatus, statusRuntimeException.getTrailers))
   }
 
   private def toJavaProto(scalaPbSource: com.google.protobuf.any.Any): com.google.protobuf.Any = {
@@ -50,7 +52,13 @@ object GrpcServiceException {
   }
 
   def apply(ex: StatusRuntimeException): GrpcServiceException = {
-    new GrpcServiceException(ex.getStatus, new RichGrpcMetadataImpl(ex.getStatus, ex.getTrailers))
+    ex.getTrailers match {
+      case null =>
+        new GrpcServiceException(ex.getStatus)
+      case trailers =>
+        new GrpcServiceException(ex.getStatus, new RichGrpcMetadataImpl(ex.getStatus, trailers))
+    }
+
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/scala/akka/grpc/internal/MetadataImpl.scala b/runtime/src/main/scala/akka/grpc/internal/MetadataImpl.scala
index e8c27916f..20a310dcd 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/scala/akka/grpc/internal/MetadataImpl.scala
+++ b/runtime/src/main/scala/akka/grpc/internal/MetadataImpl.scala
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ import scalapb.{ GeneratedMessage, GeneratedMessageCompanion }
  */
 @InternalApi
 class GrpcMetadataImpl(delegate: io.grpc.Metadata) extends Metadata {
+  require(delegate != null, "Metadata delegate must be present")
   private lazy val map = delegate.keys.iterator.asScala.map(key => key -> getEntries(key)).toMap
 
   override def getText(key: String): Option[String] =