diff --git a/cadc-util-fs/src/main/java/org/opencadc/util/fs/XAttrCommandExecutor.java b/cadc-util-fs/src/main/java/org/opencadc/util/fs/XAttrCommandExecutor.java
index 24e280df..acfa05d2 100644
--- a/cadc-util-fs/src/main/java/org/opencadc/util/fs/XAttrCommandExecutor.java
+++ b/cadc-util-fs/src/main/java/org/opencadc/util/fs/XAttrCommandExecutor.java
@@ -148,12 +148,17 @@ public static String get(final Path path, final String attributeKey) throws IOEx
 
         // getfattr command returns the full attribute in key=value format.
         final String commandOutput = XAttrCommandExecutor.execute(command);
-        final Matcher commandOutputMatcher = XAttrCommandExecutor.GET_COMMAND_OUTPUT_PATTERN.matcher(commandOutput);
 
-        if (!commandOutputMatcher.find()) {
-            throw new IllegalStateException("Unknown command output: " + commandOutput);
+        if (commandOutput == null) {
+            return null;
         } else {
-            return commandOutputMatcher.group(1);
+            final Matcher commandOutputMatcher = XAttrCommandExecutor.GET_COMMAND_OUTPUT_PATTERN.matcher(commandOutput);
+
+            if (!commandOutputMatcher.find()) {
+                throw new IllegalStateException("Unknown command output: " + commandOutput);
+            } else {
+                return commandOutputMatcher.group(1);
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/cadc-util-fs/src/test/java/org/opencadc/util/fs/XAttrCommandExecutorTest.java b/cadc-util-fs/src/test/java/org/opencadc/util/fs/XAttrCommandExecutorTest.java
index 1f1ec28d..8d8a277e 100644
--- a/cadc-util-fs/src/test/java/org/opencadc/util/fs/XAttrCommandExecutorTest.java
+++ b/cadc-util-fs/src/test/java/org/opencadc/util/fs/XAttrCommandExecutorTest.java
@@ -108,12 +108,8 @@ public void setAndGetUserAttribute() throws Exception {
         final Path target = fs.getPath(XAttrCommandExecutorTest.ROOT, folderName).toAbsolutePath();
         Files.createDirectory(target);
 
-        try {
-            XAttrCommandExecutor.get(target, "user.foo");
-            Assert.fail("Should not already have user.foo attribute.");
-        } catch (IOException ioException) {
-            // Good
-        }
+        Assert.assertNull("Should not already have user.foo attribute.",
+                          XAttrCommandExecutor.get(target, "user.foo"));
 
         XAttrCommandExecutor.set(target, "user.foo", "bar");
 
@@ -141,14 +137,15 @@ public void setAttributeNullKey() throws Exception {
         XAttrCommandExecutor.set(target, null, "bogusValue");
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = IOException.class)
+    @Test
     public void getAttributeNoSuchKey() throws Exception {
         final String folderName = "getAttributeFail-" + UUID.randomUUID();
         final FileSystem fs = FileSystems.getDefault();
         final Path target = fs.getPath(XAttrCommandExecutorTest.ROOT, folderName).toAbsolutePath();
         Files.createDirectory(target);
 
-        XAttrCommandExecutor.get(target, "user.bogus.attr");
+        Assert.assertNull("Should be null for no such attribute.",
+                          XAttrCommandExecutor.get(target, "user.bogus.attr"));
     }
 
     @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)