diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/argdelegation/ArgDelegationPeerImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/argdelegation/ArgDelegationPeerImpl.java
index 0424d6d8a..be0f697e5 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/argdelegation/ArgDelegationPeerImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/argdelegation/ArgDelegationPeerImpl.java
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@
  * @author Emil Ivov
  */
 public class ArgDelegationPeerImpl
-    implements ArgDelegationPeer, ServiceListener
+    implements ArgDelegationPeer,
+               ServiceListener
 {
-    private static final Logger logger =
-        Logger.getLogger(ArgDelegationPeerImpl.class);
+    private static final Logger logger
+        = Logger.getLogger(ArgDelegationPeerImpl.class);
 
     /**
      * The list of uriHandlers that we are currently aware of.
@@ -43,31 +44,30 @@ public class ArgDelegationPeerImpl
      */
     public ArgDelegationPeerImpl(BundleContext bundleContext)
     {
-        ServiceReference[] uriHandlerRefs = null;
+        ServiceReference[] uriHandlerRefs;
 
-        synchronized (uriHandlers)
+        try
         {
-            try
-            {
-                uriHandlerRefs = bundleContext.getServiceReferences(
+            uriHandlerRefs = bundleContext.getServiceReferences(
                                 UriHandler.class.getName(), null);
-            }
-            catch (InvalidSyntaxException exc)
-            {
-                // this shouldn't happen because we aren't using a filter
-                // but let's log just the same.
-                logger.info("An error occurred while retrieving UriHandlers",
-                                exc);
-                return;
-            }
+        }
+        catch (InvalidSyntaxException exc)
+        {
+            // this shouldn't happen because we aren't using a filter
+            // but let's log just the same.
+            logger.info("An error occurred while retrieving UriHandlers", exc);
+            return;
+        }
 
-            if(uriHandlerRefs == null)
-            {
-                //none URI handlers are registered at this point. Some might
-                //come later.
-                return;
-            }
+        if(uriHandlerRefs == null)
+        {
+            //none URI handlers are registered at this point. Some might
+            //come later.
+            return;
+        }
 
+        synchronized (uriHandlers)
+        {
             for (ServiceReference uriHandlerRef : uriHandlerRefs)
             {
                 UriHandler uriHandler = (UriHandler) bundleContext
@@ -86,34 +86,41 @@ public ArgDelegationPeerImpl(BundleContext bundleContext)
      */
     public void serviceChanged(ServiceEvent event)
     {
-        synchronized (uriHandlers)
-        {
-            BundleContext bc = event.getServiceReference().getBundle()
-                            .getBundleContext();
+        BundleContext bc
+            = event.getServiceReference().getBundle().getBundleContext();
+
+        /*
+         * TODO When the Update button of the plug-in manager is invoked for the
+         * IRC protocol provider plug-in, bc is of value null and thus causes a
+         * NullPointerException. Determine whether it is a problem (in general)
+         * to not process ServiceEvent.UNREGISTERING in such a case.
+         */
+        if (bc == null)
+            return;
 
-            Object service = bc.getService(event.getServiceReference());
+        Object service = bc.getService(event.getServiceReference());
 
-            //we are only interested in UriHandler-s
-            if(!(service instanceof UriHandler) )
-            {
-                return;
-            }
+        //we are only interested in UriHandler-s
+        if (!(service instanceof UriHandler))
+            return;
 
-            if (event.getType() == ServiceEvent.MODIFIED
-                            || event.getType() == ServiceEvent.REGISTERED)
-            {
-                UriHandler uriHandler = (UriHandler) bc.getService(event
-                                .getServiceReference());
+        UriHandler uriHandler = (UriHandler) service;
 
-                uriHandlers.put(uriHandler.getProtocol(), uriHandler);
-            }
-            else if (event.getType() == ServiceEvent.UNREGISTERING)
+        synchronized (uriHandlers)
+        {
+            switch (event.getType())
             {
-                UriHandler uriHandler = (UriHandler) bc.getService(event
-                                .getServiceReference());
+            case ServiceEvent.MODIFIED:
+            case ServiceEvent.REGISTERED:
+                uriHandlers.put(uriHandler.getProtocol(), uriHandler);
+                break;
+
+            case ServiceEvent.UNREGISTERING:
+                String protocol = uriHandler.getProtocol();
 
-                if(uriHandlers.get(uriHandler.getProtocol()) == uriHandler)
-                    uriHandlers.remove(uriHandler.getProtocol());
+                if(uriHandlers.get(protocol) == uriHandler)
+                    uriHandlers.remove(protocol);
+                break;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -148,7 +155,10 @@ public void handleUri(String uriArg)
 
         String scheme = uriArg.substring(0, colonIndex);
 
-        UriHandler handler = uriHandlers.get(scheme);
+        UriHandler handler;
+        synchronized (uriHandlers) {
+            handler = uriHandlers.get(scheme);
+        }
 
         //if handler is null we need to tell the user.
         if(handler == null)
@@ -171,6 +181,10 @@ public void handleUri(String uriArg)
         //catch every possible exception
         catch(Throwable thr)
         {
+            // ThreadDeath should always be re-thrown.
+            if (thr instanceof ThreadDeath)
+                throw (ThreadDeath) thr;
+
             ArgDelegationActivator.getUIService().getPopupDialog()
                 .showMessagePopupDialog(
                     "Error handling " + uriArg,
@@ -191,6 +205,4 @@ public void handleConcurrentInvocationRequest()
     {
         ArgDelegationActivator.getUIService().setVisible(true);
     }
-
-
 }
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/plugin/autoaway/AutoAwayActivator.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/plugin/autoaway/AutoAwayActivator.java
index 1c33a70b2..7acdbed1c 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/plugin/autoaway/AutoAwayActivator.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/plugin/autoaway/AutoAwayActivator.java
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 
 import java.util.*;
 
-import net.java.sip.communicator.service.configuration.ConfigurationService;
+import net.java.sip.communicator.service.configuration.*;
 import net.java.sip.communicator.service.gui.*;
-import net.java.sip.communicator.service.protocol.ProtocolProviderService;
+import net.java.sip.communicator.service.protocol.*;
 import net.java.sip.communicator.service.resources.*;
-import net.java.sip.communicator.util.Logger;
+import net.java.sip.communicator.util.*;
 
 import org.osgi.framework.*;
 
@@ -21,11 +21,10 @@
  * 
  * @author Thomas Hofer
  */
-public class AutoAwayActivator implements BundleActivator
+public class AutoAwayActivator
+    implements BundleActivator
 {
-
-    private static Logger logger = Logger
-            .getLogger(AutoAwayActivator.class);
+    private static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(AutoAwayActivator.class);
 
     static BundleContext bundleContext = null;
 
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/plugin/autoaway/StatusUpdateThread.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/plugin/autoaway/StatusUpdateThread.java
index 0fa461e7a..b2c3f1cfb 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/plugin/autoaway/StatusUpdateThread.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/plugin/autoaway/StatusUpdateThread.java
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import java.awt.*;
 import java.util.*;
 
-import net.java.sip.communicator.service.configuration.ConfigurationService;
+import net.java.sip.communicator.service.configuration.*;
 import net.java.sip.communicator.service.protocol.*;
 
 /**
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
  * not moved, all accounts are set to "Away" or similar states.
  * 
  * @author Thomas Hofer
- * 
  */
-public class StatusUpdateThread implements Runnable
+public class StatusUpdateThread
+    implements Runnable
 {
     private boolean run = false;
     private Point lastPosition = null;