diff --git a/csharp/Lib/Utils/StringUtils.cs b/csharp/Lib/Utils/StringUtils.cs
index 763a164a0..774706efe 100644
--- a/csharp/Lib/Utils/StringUtils.cs
+++ b/csharp/Lib/Utils/StringUtils.cs
@@ -132,9 +132,11 @@ public static class StringUtils
               .SideBySideWith(text, "");
     }
 
-    public static IReadOnlyList<String> SplitLines(this String s)
+    public static IReadOnlyList<String> SplitLines(this String? s)
     {
-        return s.Split(new[] { Environment.NewLine }, StringSplitOptions.None);
+        return s is null 
+             ? Array.Empty<String>() 
+             : s.Split(new[] { Environment.NewLine }, StringSplitOptions.None);
     }
     
     
diff --git a/csharp/Lib/Utils/TextBlock.cs b/csharp/Lib/Utils/TextBlock.cs
index 1f7349d78..1b3ccc709 100644
--- a/csharp/Lib/Utils/TextBlock.cs
+++ b/csharp/Lib/Utils/TextBlock.cs
@@ -8,13 +8,18 @@ public class TextBlock
 
     public override String ToString() => _Lines.JoinLines();
 
+    public static TextBlock Empty { get; } = new TextBlock();
+    
     public static TextBlock AlignLeft(IReadOnlyList<Object> things)
     {
         var lines = things
                    .SelectMany(GetLines)
                    .ToList();
 
-        var width = lines.Max(l => l.Length);
+        if (!lines.Any())
+            return Empty;
+
+        var width = lines.Max(l => l.Length); 
 
         var alignedLines = lines
                           .Select(l => l.PadRight(width))
@@ -29,6 +34,9 @@ public class TextBlock
                    .SelectMany(GetLines)
                    .ToList();
 
+        if (!lines.Any())
+            return Empty;
+        
         var width = lines.Max(l => l.Length);
 
         var alignedLines = lines
@@ -53,8 +61,6 @@ public class TextBlock
         return new TextBlock(alignedLines);
     }
 
-    
-
     public static TextBlock AlignTop(IReadOnlyList<Object> things)
     {
         var columns = things
@@ -105,12 +111,12 @@ public class TextBlock
         return new TextBlock(alignedLines);
     }
     
-    public static TextBlock AlignLeft            (params Object[] things) => AlignLeft            ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
-    public static TextBlock AlignRight           (params Object[] things) => AlignRight           ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
-    public static TextBlock AlignTop             (params Object[] things) => AlignTop             ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);  
-    public static TextBlock AlignBottom          (params Object[] things) => AlignBottom          ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
-    public static TextBlock AlignCenterVertical  (params Object[] things) => AlignCenterVertical  ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
-    public static TextBlock AlignCenterHorizontal(params Object[] things) => AlignCenterHorizontal((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
+    public static TextBlock AlignLeft            (params Object?[] things) => AlignLeft            ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
+    public static TextBlock AlignRight           (params Object?[] things) => AlignRight           ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
+    public static TextBlock AlignTop             (params Object?[] things) => AlignTop             ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);  
+    public static TextBlock AlignBottom          (params Object?[] things) => AlignBottom          ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
+    public static TextBlock AlignCenterVertical  (params Object?[] things) => AlignCenterVertical  ((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
+    public static TextBlock AlignCenterHorizontal(params Object?[] things) => AlignCenterHorizontal((IReadOnlyList<Object>) things);
     
     public static TextBlock FromString(String thing) => AlignLeft(thing);
     
@@ -175,15 +181,18 @@ public class TextBlock
     }
 
 
-    private static IReadOnlyList<String> GetLines(Object t)
+    private static IReadOnlyList<String> GetLines(Object? t)
     {
-        return t is TextBlock tb
-             ? tb._Lines
-             : t.ToString()!.SplitLines();
+        return t switch
+        {
+            TextBlock tb => tb._Lines,
+            null         => Array.Empty<String>(),
+            _            => t.ToString()!.SplitLines()
+        };
     }
 
     private static String Space(Int32 totalWidth)
     {
         return "".PadRight(totalWidth);
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file