diff --git a/examples/SharedMemory/PhysicsServerCommandProcessor.cpp b/examples/SharedMemory/PhysicsServerCommandProcessor.cpp
index e95713c14..712e4b9fe 100644
--- a/examples/SharedMemory/PhysicsServerCommandProcessor.cpp
+++ b/examples/SharedMemory/PhysicsServerCommandProcessor.cpp
@@ -1602,6 +1602,12 @@ bool PhysicsServerCommandProcessor::processCommand(const struct SharedMemoryComm
 							int totalDegreeOfFreedomQ = 0;
 							int totalDegreeOfFreedomU = 0;
 
+							if (mb->getNumLinks()>= MAX_DEGREE_OF_FREEDOM)
+							{
+								serverStatusOut.m_type = CMD_ACTUAL_STATE_UPDATE_FAILED;
+								hasStatus = true;
+								break;
+							}
 
 							//always add the base, even for static (non-moving objects)
 							//so that we can easily move the 'fixed' base when needed
diff --git a/examples/SharedMemory/SharedMemoryCommands.h b/examples/SharedMemory/SharedMemoryCommands.h
index f7a9812ca..5e2bd41c5 100644
--- a/examples/SharedMemory/SharedMemoryCommands.h
+++ b/examples/SharedMemory/SharedMemoryCommands.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #define SHARED_MEMORY_MAX_STREAM_CHUNK_SIZE (256*1024)
 
 #define SHARED_MEMORY_SERVER_TEST_C
-#define MAX_DEGREE_OF_FREEDOM 64
+#define MAX_DEGREE_OF_FREEDOM 128
 #define MAX_NUM_SENSORS 256
 #define MAX_URDF_FILENAME_LENGTH 1024
 #define MAX_SDF_FILENAME_LENGTH 1024
diff --git a/examples/TinyRenderer/TinyRenderer.cpp b/examples/TinyRenderer/TinyRenderer.cpp
index b81ce57ed..3ed2de4b9 100644
--- a/examples/TinyRenderer/TinyRenderer.cpp
+++ b/examples/TinyRenderer/TinyRenderer.cpp
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ void TinyRenderer::renderObject(TinyRenderObjectData& renderData)
 	renderData.m_viewportMatrix = viewport(0,0,width, height);
 	
     b3AlignedObjectArray<float>& zbuffer = renderData.m_depthBuffer;
-    int* segmentationMaskBufferPtr = &renderData.m_segmentationMaskBufferPtr->at(0);
+    int* segmentationMaskBufferPtr = renderData.m_segmentationMaskBufferPtr?&renderData.m_segmentationMaskBufferPtr->at(0):0;
     
     TGAImage& frame = renderData.m_rgbColorBuffer;
 
diff --git a/examples/pybullet/pybullet.c b/examples/pybullet/pybullet.c
index 915de51f1..dfe4f292d 100644
--- a/examples/pybullet/pybullet.c
+++ b/examples/pybullet/pybullet.c
@@ -552,7 +552,11 @@ static void pybullet_internalGetBasePositionAndOrientation(int bodyIndex, double
                     b3SubmitClientCommandAndWaitStatus(sm, cmd_handle);
 
             const int status_type = b3GetStatusType(status_handle);
-            
+			if (status_type != CMD_ACTUAL_STATE_UPDATE_COMPLETED)
+			{
+				PyErr_SetString(SpamError, "getBasePositionAndOrientation failed.");
+				return NULL;
+			}
             const double* actualStateQ;
             // const double* jointReactionForces[];
             int i;
@@ -848,42 +852,44 @@ pybullet_getJointInfo(PyObject* self, PyObject* args)
       
       // printf("body index = %d, joint index =%d\n", bodyIndex, jointIndex);
 
-    b3SharedMemoryCommandHandle cmd_handle =
-            b3RequestActualStateCommandInit(sm, bodyIndex);
-        b3SharedMemoryStatusHandle status_handle =
-                b3SubmitClientCommandAndWaitStatus(sm, cmd_handle);
-                  
      pyListJointInfo = PyTuple_New(jointInfoSize);
 
-     b3GetJointInfo(sm, bodyIndex, jointIndex, &info);
-     
-    //  printf("Joint%d %s, type %d, at q-index %d and u-index %d\n",
-    //          info.m_jointIndex,
-    //          info.m_jointName, 
-    //          info.m_jointType, 
-    //          info.m_qIndex,
-    //          info.m_uIndex);
-    //  printf("  flags=%d jointDamping=%f jointFriction=%f\n",
-    //          info.m_flags,
-    //          info.m_jointDamping,
-    //          info.m_jointFriction);
-      PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 0, 
-      PyInt_FromLong(info.m_jointIndex));
-      PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 1, 
-        PyString_FromString(info.m_jointName));
-      PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 2, 
-        PyInt_FromLong(info.m_jointType));    
-      PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 3, 
-        PyInt_FromLong(info.m_qIndex));
-      PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 4, 
-        PyInt_FromLong(info.m_uIndex));
-      PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 5, 
-        PyInt_FromLong(info.m_flags));   
-      PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 6, 
-        PyFloat_FromDouble(info.m_jointDamping));
-      PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 7, 
-        PyFloat_FromDouble(info.m_jointFriction));    
-      return pyListJointInfo;
+	 if (b3GetJointInfo(sm, bodyIndex, jointIndex, &info))
+	 {
+
+		 //  printf("Joint%d %s, type %d, at q-index %d and u-index %d\n",
+		 //          info.m_jointIndex,
+		 //          info.m_jointName, 
+		 //          info.m_jointType, 
+		 //          info.m_qIndex,
+		 //          info.m_uIndex);
+		 //  printf("  flags=%d jointDamping=%f jointFriction=%f\n",
+		 //          info.m_flags,
+		 //          info.m_jointDamping,
+		 //          info.m_jointFriction);
+		 PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 0,
+			 PyInt_FromLong(info.m_jointIndex));
+		 PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 1,
+			 PyString_FromString(info.m_jointName));
+		 PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 2,
+			 PyInt_FromLong(info.m_jointType));
+		 PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 3,
+			 PyInt_FromLong(info.m_qIndex));
+		 PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 4,
+			 PyInt_FromLong(info.m_uIndex));
+		 PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 5,
+			 PyInt_FromLong(info.m_flags));
+		 PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 6,
+			 PyFloat_FromDouble(info.m_jointDamping));
+		 PyTuple_SetItem(pyListJointInfo, 7,
+			 PyFloat_FromDouble(info.m_jointFriction));
+		 return pyListJointInfo;
+	 }
+	 else
+	 {
+		 PyErr_SetString(SpamError, "GetJointInfo failed.");
+		 return NULL;
+	 }
     }
   }
   
@@ -934,12 +940,19 @@ pybullet_getJointState(PyObject* self, PyObject* args)
   {
    if (PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ii", &bodyIndex, &jointIndex))
   	{
-
+		int status_type = 0;
   b3SharedMemoryCommandHandle cmd_handle =
           b3RequestActualStateCommandInit(sm, bodyIndex);
       b3SharedMemoryStatusHandle status_handle =
               b3SubmitClientCommandAndWaitStatus(sm, cmd_handle);
-                
+              
+	  status_type = b3GetStatusType(status_handle);
+	  if (status_type != CMD_ACTUAL_STATE_UPDATE_COMPLETED)
+	  {
+		  PyErr_SetString(SpamError, "getBasePositionAndOrientation failed.");
+		  return NULL;
+	  }
+
    pyListJointState = PyTuple_New(sensorStateSize);
    pyListJointForceTorque = PyTuple_New(forceTorqueSize);