diff --git a/src/tethys/calibration/CalibrationHandler.java b/src/tethys/calibration/CalibrationHandler.java
index f3ce8bfe..f5f1acb0 100644
--- a/src/tethys/calibration/CalibrationHandler.java
+++ b/src/tethys/calibration/CalibrationHandler.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import tethys.TethysTimeFuncs;
 import tethys.calibration.swing.CalibrationsExportWizard;
 import tethys.dbxml.DBXMLConnect;
 import tethys.dbxml.TethysException;
+import tethys.niluswraps.NilusChecker;
 import tethys.niluswraps.NilusSettingsWrapper;
 import tethys.niluswraps.NilusUnpacker;
 import tethys.pamdata.AutoTethysProvider;
@@ -197,9 +198,20 @@ public class CalibrationHandler implements TethysStateObserver {
 				calDoc.setMetadataInfo(sampleCal.getMetadataInfo());				
 				calDoc.setProcess(sampleCal.getProcess());
 				calDoc.setQualityAssurance(sampleCal.getQualityAssurance());
-				calDoc.setResponsibleParty(sampleCal.getResponsibleParty());
+				if (NilusChecker.isEmpty(sampleCal.getResponsibleParty()) == false) {
+					calDoc.setResponsibleParty(sampleCal.getResponsibleParty());
+				}
 				calDoc.setTimeStamp(sampleCal.getTimeStamp());
 			}
+			// check the contact info in the metadata. 
+			// can't so because it's required. 
+//			MetadataInfo metaData = calDoc.getMetadataInfo();
+//			if (metaData != null) {
+//				if (NilusChecker.isEmpty(metaData.getContact())) {
+//					metaData.setContact(null);
+//				}
+//			}
+			
 			
 			addParameterDetails(calDoc, i);
 			
@@ -408,6 +420,10 @@ public class CalibrationHandler implements TethysStateObserver {
 		hz.add(Double.valueOf(0));
 		db.add(Double.valueOf(hSens+preampGain));
 		
+		if (NilusChecker.isEmpty(calibration.getResponsibleParty())) {
+			calibration.setResponsibleParty(null);
+		}
+		
 		MetadataInfo metaInf = calibration.getMetadataInfo();
 		if (metaInf == null) {
 			metaInf = new MetadataInfo();
@@ -420,6 +436,12 @@ public class CalibrationHandler implements TethysStateObserver {
 			contact = new ResponsibleParty();
 			metaInf.setContact(contact);
 		}
+		if (NilusChecker.isEmpty(metaInf.getContact())) {
+			metaInf.setContact(null);
+		}
+		if (NilusChecker.isEmpty(metaInf)) {
+			calibration.setMetadataInfo(null);
+		}
 		contact.setIndividualName("Unknown");
 		contact.setOrganizationName("unknown");
 		
diff --git a/src/tethys/niluswraps/NilusChecker.java b/src/tethys/niluswraps/NilusChecker.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb2c6cab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tethys/niluswraps/NilusChecker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+package tethys.niluswraps;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import nilus.ResponsibleParty;
+
+/**
+ * A few static checks of some nilus classes to see if it's 
+ * worth writing them or not. 
+ * @author dg50
+ *
+ */
+public class NilusChecker {
+
+	public static boolean isEmpty(Object nilusObject) {
+		boolean empty = true;
+		if (nilusObject == null) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		// and check all getters 
+		Class<? extends Object> nilusClass = nilusObject.getClass();
+		Method[] methods = nilusClass.getDeclaredMethods();
+		// searching for getters. 
+		int nGet = 0;
+		for (int i = 0; i < methods.length; i++) {
+			Method method = methods[i];
+			if (method.getName().startsWith("get") && method.getParameterCount() == 0) {
+				nGet ++;
+				try {
+					Object got = method.invoke(nilusObject, null);
+					if (got != null) {
+						if (got instanceof String) {
+							if (isEmptyString((String) got) == false) {
+								empty = false;
+							}
+						}
+						else if (got instanceof List<?>) {
+							if (isEmptyList((List) got) == false) {
+								empty = false;
+							}
+						}
+						else if (isEmpty(got) == false) {// it's some other class type, so recurecively ask back here.
+							empty = false;
+						}
+						
+					}
+				} catch (IllegalAccessException | IllegalArgumentException | InvocationTargetException e) {
+					return false; // better save than sorry if we don't understand. 
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if (nGet == 0) {
+			// there weren't any understandable getters, so assume not empty. May be some other primitive type. 
+			empty = false;
+		}
+			
+		return empty;
+	}
+	
+	private static boolean isEmptyList(List got) {
+		if (got == null) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		return got.size() == 0;
+	}
+
+	public static boolean isEmptyString(String string) {
+		if (string == null || string.length() == 0) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+}