diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/BuildStepListener.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/BuildStepListener.java
index 03f36a0f201a1a0adc20931b429a30f7ed9a4e6a..7d9ba256edc55f86e0d33249e35e6f5688844145 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/BuildStepListener.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/BuildStepListener.java
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import hudson.ExtensionPoint;
 import hudson.tasks.BuildStep;
 import jenkins.model.Jenkins;
 
-import java.util.List;
-
 /**
  * Receives events that happen as a build executes {@link BuildStep}s.
  * @author <a href="mailto:nicolas.deloof@gmail.com">Nicolas De Loof</a>
@@ -28,6 +26,7 @@ public abstract class BuildStepListener implements ExtensionPoint {
      * Returns all the registered {@link BuildStepListener}s.
      */
     public static ExtensionList<BuildStepListener> all() {
+        // TODO should have a null-safe version when Jenkins.getInstance() is null; would require changes in ExtensionList
         return Jenkins.getInstance().getExtensionList(BuildStepListener.class);
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Job.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Job.java
index 56734c0e9faa5e4f34b9fb6862a1e01b4b19f3e9..8818c9e764ee3c6be456ff649f43eb3348bc4965 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Job.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Job.java
@@ -787,7 +787,11 @@ public abstract class Job<JobT extends Job<JobT, RunT>, RunT extends Run<JobT, R
      * @see RunMap
      */
     public File getBuildDir() {
-        return Jenkins.getInstance().getBuildDirFor(this);
+        Jenkins j = Jenkins.getInstance();
+        if (j == null) {
+            return new File(getRootDir(), "builds");
+        }
+        return j.getBuildDirFor(this);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/jenkins/model/Jenkins.java b/core/src/main/java/jenkins/model/Jenkins.java
index 883f1ee125b030d88b6355df6f1d92acf123b832..5ec8026ab8333fc125cd915200200b3b221175aa 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/jenkins/model/Jenkins.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/jenkins/model/Jenkins.java
@@ -701,7 +701,12 @@ public class Jenkins extends AbstractCIBase implements DirectlyModifiableTopLeve
         }
     };
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the Jenkins singleton.
+     * @return the instance, or null if Jenkins has not been started, or was already shut down
+     */
     @CLIResolver
+    @CheckForNull
     public static Jenkins getInstance() {
         return HOLDER.getInstance();
     }