diff --git a/astrid/res/layout/task_edit_activity.xml b/astrid/res/layout/task_edit_activity.xml
index 824685fd7..fb9082006 100644
--- a/astrid/res/layout/task_edit_activity.xml
+++ b/astrid/res/layout/task_edit_activity.xml
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
   <ScrollView
     android:id="@+id/tab_basic"
     android:layout_width="fill_parent"
-    android:layout_height="fill_parent">
+    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
+    android:layout_weight="100">
     <LinearLayout
       android:id="@+id/event"
       android:paddingRight="8dip"
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@
         android:orientation="horizontal"
         android:layout_width="fill_parent"
         android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+        android:layout_weight="1"
         android:layout_marginTop="10dip"
         android:padding="5dip"
         android:background="@drawable/edit_header"
@@ -144,7 +146,8 @@
   <ScrollView
     android:id="@+id/tab_extra"
     android:layout_width="fill_parent"
-    android:layout_height="fill_parent">
+    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
+    android:layout_weight="100">
     <LinearLayout
       android:paddingRight="8dip"
       android:orientation="vertical"
@@ -222,6 +225,7 @@
         android:orientation="horizontal"
         android:layout_width="fill_parent"
         android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+        android:layout_weight="1"
         android:layout_marginTop="10dip"
         android:padding="5dip"
         android:background="@drawable/edit_header"
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/activity/TaskEditActivity.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/activity/TaskEditActivity.java
index fd067f7a8..8b38b3cfa 100755
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/activity/TaskEditActivity.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/activity/TaskEditActivity.java
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
 import android.content.ContentValues;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.DialogInterface;
-import android.content.Intent;
-import android.content.IntentFilter;
 import android.content.DialogInterface.OnCancelListener;
 import android.content.DialogInterface.OnDismissListener;
+import android.content.Intent;
+import android.content.IntentFilter;
 import android.content.res.Resources;
 import android.graphics.Color;
 import android.os.Bundle;
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import android.view.MenuItem;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewGroup.LayoutParams;
 import android.widget.AdapterView;
+import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener;
 import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
 import android.widget.Button;
 import android.widget.CheckBox;
@@ -62,7 +63,6 @@ import android.widget.TextView;
 import android.widget.TimePicker;
 import android.widget.Toast;
 import android.widget.ToggleButton;
-import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener;
 
 import com.timsu.astrid.R;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.data.Property.StringProperty;
@@ -340,19 +340,23 @@ public final class TaskEditActivity extends TabActivity {
         };
 
         // set up save, cancel, and delete buttons
-        ImageButton saveButtonGeneral = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.save_basic);
-        saveButtonGeneral.setOnClickListener(mSaveListener);
-        ImageButton saveButtonDates = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.save_extra);
-        saveButtonDates.setOnClickListener(mSaveListener);
-        ImageButton saveButtonNotify = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.save_addons);
-        saveButtonNotify.setOnClickListener(mSaveListener);
-
-        ImageButton discardButtonGeneral = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.discard_basic);
-        discardButtonGeneral.setOnClickListener(mDiscardListener);
-        ImageButton discardButtonDates = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.discard_extra);
-        discardButtonDates.setOnClickListener(mDiscardListener);
-        ImageButton discardButtonNotify = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.discard_addons);
-        discardButtonNotify.setOnClickListener(mDiscardListener);
+        try {
+            ImageButton saveButtonGeneral = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.save_basic);
+            saveButtonGeneral.setOnClickListener(mSaveListener);
+            ImageButton saveButtonDates = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.save_extra);
+            saveButtonDates.setOnClickListener(mSaveListener);
+            ImageButton saveButtonNotify = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.save_addons);
+            saveButtonNotify.setOnClickListener(mSaveListener);
+
+            ImageButton discardButtonGeneral = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.discard_basic);
+            discardButtonGeneral.setOnClickListener(mDiscardListener);
+            ImageButton discardButtonDates = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.discard_extra);
+            discardButtonDates.setOnClickListener(mDiscardListener);
+            ImageButton discardButtonNotify = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.discard_addons);
+            discardButtonNotify.setOnClickListener(mDiscardListener);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            // error loading the proper activity
+        }
     }
 
     /* ======================================================================
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/adapter/TaskAdapter.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/adapter/TaskAdapter.java
index 69088099e..dc638eabf 100644
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/adapter/TaskAdapter.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/adapter/TaskAdapter.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import android.graphics.drawable.Drawable;
 import android.text.Html;
 import android.text.Html.ImageGetter;
 import android.text.Html.TagHandler;
+import android.text.Spannable;
 import android.text.Spanned;
 import android.text.TextUtils;
 import android.view.ContextMenu;
@@ -376,7 +377,12 @@ public class TaskAdapter extends CursorAdapter implements Filterable {
 
     private Spanned convertToHtml(String string, ImageGetter imageGetter, TagHandler tagHandler) {
         if(!htmlCache.containsKey(string)) {
-            Spanned html = Html.fromHtml(string, imageGetter, tagHandler);
+            Spanned html;
+            try {
+                html = Html.fromHtml(string, imageGetter, tagHandler);
+            } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+                html = Spannable.Factory.getInstance().newSpannable(string);
+            }
             htmlCache.put(string, html);
             return html;
         }
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/provider/Astrid2TaskProvider.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/provider/Astrid2TaskProvider.java
index 895eb427e..774bb184e 100644
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/provider/Astrid2TaskProvider.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/provider/Astrid2TaskProvider.java
@@ -286,7 +286,13 @@ public class Astrid2TaskProvider extends ContentProvider {
 		if (LOGD)
 			Log.d(TAG, "notifyDatabaseModification");
 
-		ctx.getContentResolver().notifyChange(CONTENT_URI, null);
+		if(ctx == null)
+		    ctx = ContextManager.getContext();
+		try {
+		    ctx.getContentResolver().notifyChange(CONTENT_URI, null);
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+		    // no context was available
+		}
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/StartupService.java b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/StartupService.java
index 50fc57312..9e6748e5f 100644
--- a/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/StartupService.java
+++ b/astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/StartupService.java
@@ -158,9 +158,14 @@ public class StartupService {
     private void onFirstTime() {
         Resources r = ContextManager.getResources();
 
-        addIntroTask(r, R.string.intro_task_1_summary, R.string.intro_task_1_note);
-        addIntroTask(r, R.string.intro_task_2_summary, R.string.intro_task_2_note);
-        addIntroTask(r, R.string.intro_task_3_summary, R.string.intro_task_3_note);
+        try {
+            database.openForWriting();
+            addIntroTask(r, R.string.intro_task_1_summary, R.string.intro_task_1_note);
+            addIntroTask(r, R.string.intro_task_2_summary, R.string.intro_task_2_note);
+            addIntroTask(r, R.string.intro_task_3_summary, R.string.intro_task_3_note);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            exceptionService.reportError("on-first-time", e); //$NON-NLS-1$
+        }
     }
 
     private void addIntroTask(Resources r, int summary, int note) {