diff --git a/api/buildcraft/api/core/StackKey.java b/api/buildcraft/api/core/StackKey.java
index 4df5050e..9c9ef0e0 100644
--- a/api/buildcraft/api/core/StackKey.java
+++ b/api/buildcraft/api/core/StackKey.java
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ package buildcraft.api.core;
 import net.minecraft.block.Block;
 import net.minecraft.item.Item;
 import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack;
+import net.minecraft.nbt.NBTTagCompound;
 import net.minecraftforge.fluids.Fluid;
 import net.minecraftforge.fluids.FluidContainerRegistry;
 import net.minecraftforge.fluids.FluidStack;
@@ -82,14 +83,14 @@ public final class StackKey {
 		if (stack != null) {
 			if (stack.getItem() != k.stack.getItem() ||
 					stack.getHasSubtypes() && stack.getItemDamage() != k.stack.getItemDamage() ||
-					!stack.getTagCompound().equals(k.stack.getTagCompound())) {
+					!objectsEqual(stack.getTagCompound(), k.stack.getTagCompound())) {
 				return false;
 			}
 		}
 		if (fluidStack != null) {
 			if (fluidStack.fluidID != k.fluidStack.fluidID ||
 					fluidStack.amount != k.fluidStack.amount ||
-					!fluidStack.tag.equals(k.fluidStack.tag)) {
+					!objectsEqual(fluidStack.tag, k.fluidStack.tag)) {
 				return false;
 			}
 		}
@@ -102,17 +103,31 @@ public final class StackKey {
 		if (stack != null) {
 			result = 31 * result + stack.getItem().hashCode();
 			result = 31 * result + stack.getItemDamage();
-			result = 31 * result + stack.getTagCompound().hashCode();
+			result = 31 * result + objectHashCode(stack.getTagCompound());
 		}
 		result = 31 * result + 7;
 		if (fluidStack != null) {
 			result = 31 * result + fluidStack.fluidID;
 			result = 31 * result + fluidStack.amount;
-			result = 31 * result + fluidStack.tag.hashCode();
+			result = 31 * result + objectHashCode(fluidStack.tag);
 		}
 		return result;
 	}
 
+	private boolean objectsEqual(Object o1, Object o2) {
+		if (o1 == null && o2 == null) {
+			return true;
+		} else if (o1 == null || o2 == null) {
+			return false;
+		} else {
+			return o1.equals(o2);
+		}
+	}
+	
+	private int objectHashCode(Object o) {
+		return o != null ? o.hashCode() : 0;
+	}
+
 	public StackKey copy() {
 		return new StackKey(stack != null ? stack.copy() : null,
 				fluidStack != null ? fluidStack.copy() : null);