diff --git a/ietf/doc/views_draft.py b/ietf/doc/views_draft.py
index 38c9463d1..fdaea6713 100644
--- a/ietf/doc/views_draft.py
+++ b/ietf/doc/views_draft.py
@@ -954,7 +954,7 @@ def edit_shepherd(request, name):
                 events = []
 
                 doc.shepherd = form.cleaned_data['shepherd']
-                if not doc.shepherd.origin:
+                if doc.shepherd and not doc.shepherd.origin:
                     doc.shepherd.origin = 'shepherd: %s' % doc.name
                     doc.shepherd.save()
 
diff --git a/ietf/secr/drafts/forms.py b/ietf/secr/drafts/forms.py
index c12321814..db7af4d39 100644
--- a/ietf/secr/drafts/forms.py
+++ b/ietf/secr/drafts/forms.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class EditModelForm(forms.ModelForm):
 
         if 'shepherd' in self.changed_data:
             email = self.cleaned_data.get('shepherd')
-            if not email.origin:
+            if email and not email.origin:
                 email.origin = 'shepherd: %s' % m.name
                 email.save()