diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/InventoryItemBase.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/InventoryItemBase.cs
index 222c873f79..613ed736a6 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/InventoryItemBase.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/InventoryItemBase.cs
@@ -162,20 +162,28 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework
         /// <value>
         /// The description of the inventory item (must be less than 64 characters)
         /// </value>
+        
         public osUTF8 UTF8Description;
         public string Description
+        {
+            get { return UTF8Description == null ? string.Empty : UTF8Description.ToString();}
+            set { UTF8Description = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(value) ? null : new osUTF8(value);}
+        }
+        /*
+        public string Description
         {
             get
             {
-                return UTF8Description.ToString();
+                return m_description;
             }
 
             set
             {
-                UTF8Description = new osUTF8(value);
+                m_description = value;
             }
         }
-
+        protected string m_description = String.Empty;
+        */
         /// <value>
         ///
         /// </value>
diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/InventoryNodeBase.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/InventoryNodeBase.cs
index a95979762c..8d1a8942cc 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/InventoryNodeBase.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/InventoryNodeBase.cs
@@ -40,11 +40,19 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework
 
         public virtual string Name
         {
-            get { return UTF8Name.ToString(); }
-            set { UTF8Name = new osUTF8(value); }
+            get { return UTF8Name == null ? string.Empty : UTF8Name.ToString(); }
+            set { UTF8Name = string.IsNullOrEmpty(value) ? null : new osUTF8(value); }
         }
         public osUTF8 UTF8Name;
 
+        /*
+        public virtual string Name
+        {
+            get { return m_name; }
+            set { m_name = value; }
+        }
+        private string m_name = string.Empty;
+        */
         /// <summary>
         /// A UUID containing the ID for the inventory node itself
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/UuidGatherer.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/UuidGatherer.cs
index accbfe7b49..5ba7e78089 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/UuidGatherer.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/UuidGatherer.cs
@@ -868,7 +868,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
             }
         }
 
-        private int getxmlNode(ref osUTF8Slice data, out osUTF8Slice h)
+        private int getxmlNode(osUTF8Slice data, out osUTF8Slice h)
         {
             h = data;
             int st = -1;
@@ -898,10 +898,10 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
             return ed;
         }
 
-        private bool TryGetxmlUUIDValue(ref osUTF8Slice data, out UUID id)
+        private bool TryGetxmlUUIDValue(osUTF8Slice data, out UUID id)
         {
             id = UUID.Zero;
-            if(getxmlNode(ref data, out osUTF8Slice h) < 0)
+            if(getxmlNode(data, out osUTF8Slice h) < 0)
                 return false;
 
             if (h.StartsWith(UUIDB))
@@ -935,7 +935,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
             return false;
         }
 
-        private bool TryGetXMLBinary(ref osUTF8Slice data, out byte[] te)
+        private bool TryGetXMLBinary(osUTF8Slice data, out byte[] te)
         {
             te = null;
             int indx = data.IndexOf((byte)'<');
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
 
             int next;
             osUTF8Slice nodeName;
-            while ((next = getxmlNode(ref data, out nodeName)) > 0)
+            while ((next = getxmlNode(data, out nodeName)) > 0)
             {
                 if (nodeName.StartsWith((byte)'/'))
                     continue;
@@ -996,7 +996,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                     if (nodeName.EndsWith((byte)'/'))
                         continue;
 
-                    if (TryGetXMLBinary(ref data, out byte[] abytes) && abytes != null && abytes.Length > 16)
+                    if (TryGetXMLBinary(data, out byte[] abytes) && abytes != null && abytes.Length > 16)
                     {
                         try
                         {
@@ -1028,21 +1028,21 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                 {
                     if (!nodeName.EndsWith((byte)'d'))
                         continue;
-                    if (TryGetxmlUUIDValue(ref data, out UUID id) && id != UUID.Zero)
+                    if (TryGetxmlUUIDValue(data, out UUID id) && id != UUID.Zero)
                         GatheredUuids[id] = (sbyte)AssetType.Sound;
                 }
                 else if (nodeName.StartsWith(SoundIDB))
                 {
                     if (nodeName.EndsWith((byte)'/'))
                         continue;
-                    if (TryGetxmlUUIDValue(ref data, out UUID id) && id != UUID.Zero)
+                    if (TryGetxmlUUIDValue(data, out UUID id) && id != UUID.Zero)
                         GatheredUuids[id] = (sbyte)AssetType.Sound;
                 }
                 else if (nodeName.StartsWith(SculptTextureB))
                 {
                     if (nodeName.EndsWith((byte)'/'))
                         continue;
-                    if (TryGetxmlUUIDValue(ref data, out UUID id) && id != UUID.Zero)
+                    if (TryGetxmlUUIDValue(data, out UUID id) && id != UUID.Zero)
                         GatheredUuids[id] = (sbyte)AssetType.Texture; // can be mesh but no prob
                 }
                 else if (nodeName.StartsWith(ExtraParamsB))
@@ -1050,7 +1050,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                     if (nodeName.EndsWith((byte)'/'))
                         continue;
 
-                    if (TryGetXMLBinary(ref data, out byte[] exbytes) && exbytes != null && exbytes.Length > 16)
+                    if (TryGetXMLBinary(data, out byte[] exbytes) && exbytes != null && exbytes.Length > 16)
                     {
                         try
                         {
@@ -1083,7 +1083,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                     if (nodeName.EndsWith((byte)'/'))
                         continue;
 
-                    if (TryGetXMLBinary(ref data, out byte[] psbytes) && psbytes != null && psbytes.Length > 16)
+                    if (TryGetXMLBinary(data, out byte[] psbytes) && psbytes != null && psbytes.Length > 16)
                     {
                         try
                         {
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                     if (nodeName.EndsWith((byte)'/'))
                         continue;
 
-                    if (TryGetXMLBinary(ref data, out byte[] tebytes) && tebytes != null && tebytes.Length > 16)
+                    if (TryGetXMLBinary(data, out byte[] tebytes) && tebytes != null && tebytes.Length > 16)
                     {
                         try
                         {
@@ -1135,11 +1135,11 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                 {
                     if (nodeName.EndsWith((byte)'/'))
                         continue;
-                    while ((next = getxmlNode(ref data, out nodeName)) > 0)
+                    while ((next = getxmlNode(data, out nodeName)) > 0)
                     {
                         if (nodeName.StartsWith(AssetIDB))
                         {
-                            if (TryGetxmlUUIDValue(ref data, out UUID id) && id != UUID.Zero)
+                            if (TryGetxmlUUIDValue(data, out UUID id) && id != UUID.Zero)
                                 AddForInspection(id);
                         }
                         else if (nodeName.StartsWith(endTaskInventoryB))
@@ -1217,7 +1217,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
         {
             osUTF8Slice data = new osUTF8Slice(materialAsset.Data);
             int next;
-            while ((next = getxmlNode(ref data, out osUTF8Slice header)) > 0)
+            while ((next = getxmlNode(data, out osUTF8Slice header)) > 0)
             {
                 if (header.StartsWith((byte)'/'))
                     continue;