diff --git a/examples/JexerTilingWindowManager2.java b/examples/JexerTilingWindowManager2.java
index 0e360b6..03cad9b 100644
--- a/examples/JexerTilingWindowManager2.java
+++ b/examples/JexerTilingWindowManager2.java
@@ -48,8 +48,15 @@ public class JexerTilingWindowManager2 extends TApplication {
         // Let's also suppress the status line.
         System.setProperty("jexer.hideStatusBar", "true");
 
-        JexerTilingWindowManager2 jtwm = new JexerTilingWindowManager2();
+        final JexerTilingWindowManager2 jtwm = new JexerTilingWindowManager2();
         (new Thread(jtwm)).start();
+
+        jtwm.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
+            public void run() {
+                // Spin up the root terminal
+                jtwm.createRootTerminal();
+            }
+        });
     }
 
     /**
@@ -92,8 +99,6 @@ public class JexerTilingWindowManager2 extends TApplication {
             }
         });
 
-        // Spin up the root terminal
-        createRootTerminal();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/jexer/TTerminalWidget.java b/src/jexer/TTerminalWidget.java
index e765d64..203448f 100644
--- a/src/jexer/TTerminalWidget.java
+++ b/src/jexer/TTerminalWidget.java
@@ -1000,7 +1000,9 @@ public class TTerminalWidget extends TScrollableWidget
         try {
             int scrollbackMax = Integer.parseInt(System.getProperty(
                 "jexer.TTerminal.scrollbackMax", "2000"));
-            emulator.setScrollbackMax(scrollbackMax);
+            if (emulator != null) {
+                emulator.setScrollbackMax(scrollbackMax);
+            }
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
             // SQUASH
         }