diff --git a/core/dbio/iop/datastream.go b/core/dbio/iop/datastream.go
index 0283a49ff..d328f2bb3 100644
--- a/core/dbio/iop/datastream.go
+++ b/core/dbio/iop/datastream.go
@@ -2510,7 +2510,9 @@ func (it *Iterator) BelowEqualIncrementalVal() bool {
 		// no incremental val or col
 		return false
 	} else if it.incrementalColI == -1 {
-		it.incrementalColI = it.ds.Columns.GetColumn(it.incrementalCol).Position - 1
+		if col := it.ds.Columns.GetColumn(it.incrementalCol); col != nil {
+			it.incrementalColI = col.Position - 1
+		}
 	}
 
 	if it.incrementalColI == -1 || it.incrementalColI > len(it.ds.Columns) {
diff --git a/core/sling/task_func.go b/core/sling/task_func.go
index eb02a0a25..b714631c1 100644
--- a/core/sling/task_func.go
+++ b/core/sling/task_func.go
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func getIncrementalValue(cfg *Config, tgtConn database.Connection, srcConnVarMap
 	// get target columns to match update-key
 	// in case column casing needs adjustment
 	targetCols, _ := pullTargetTableColumns(cfg, tgtConn, false)
-	if updateCol := targetCols.GetColumn(tgtUpdateKey); updateCol.Name != "" {
+	if updateCol := targetCols.GetColumn(tgtUpdateKey); updateCol != nil && updateCol.Name != "" {
 		tgtUpdateKey = updateCol.Name // overwrite with correct casing
 	} else if len(targetCols) == 0 {
 		return // target table does not exist
diff --git a/core/sling/task_run_read.go b/core/sling/task_run_read.go
index 049a080b3..2566fe513 100644
--- a/core/sling/task_run_read.go
+++ b/core/sling/task_run_read.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func (t *TaskExecution) ReadFromDB(cfg *Config, srcConn database.Connection) (df
 		// get source columns to match update-key
 		// in case column casing needs adjustment
 		updateCol := sTable.Columns.GetColumn(cfg.Source.UpdateKey)
-		if updateCol.Name != "" {
+		if updateCol != nil && updateCol.Name != "" {
 			cfg.Source.UpdateKey = updateCol.Name // overwrite with correct casing
 		}