diff --git a/SpiNNaker-allocserv/src/main/java/uk/ac/manchester/spinnaker/alloc/allocator/AllocatorTask.java b/SpiNNaker-allocserv/src/main/java/uk/ac/manchester/spinnaker/alloc/allocator/AllocatorTask.java
index fd1b7c574c..024a960e41 100644
--- a/SpiNNaker-allocserv/src/main/java/uk/ac/manchester/spinnaker/alloc/allocator/AllocatorTask.java
+++ b/SpiNNaker-allocserv/src/main/java/uk/ac/manchester/spinnaker/alloc/allocator/AllocatorTask.java
@@ -328,12 +328,7 @@ private class ChangeStatus {
 
 		ChangeStatus(Row row) {
 			nChanges = row.getInt("n_changes");
-			Integer errors = row.getInteger("n_errors");
-			if (errors == null) {
-				nErrors = 0;
-			} else {
-				nErrors = errors;
-			}
+			nErrors = row.getInt("n_errors");
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/SpiNNaker-allocserv/src/main/java/uk/ac/manchester/spinnaker/alloc/db/SQLQueries.java b/SpiNNaker-allocserv/src/main/java/uk/ac/manchester/spinnaker/alloc/db/SQLQueries.java
index 60b4984ddc..e125534943 100644
--- a/SpiNNaker-allocserv/src/main/java/uk/ac/manchester/spinnaker/alloc/db/SQLQueries.java
+++ b/SpiNNaker-allocserv/src/main/java/uk/ac/manchester/spinnaker/alloc/db/SQLQueries.java
@@ -809,8 +809,7 @@ public abstract class SQLQueries {
 	 */
 	@Parameter("change_id")
 	protected static final String ERROR_PENDING =
-			"UPDATE pending_changes SET is_error=1 "
-			+ "WHERE change_id = :change_id";
+			"UPDATE pending_changes SET is_error=1 WHERE change_id = :change_id";
 
 	/**
 	 * Get descriptions of how to move from a board to its neighbours.
@@ -863,7 +862,7 @@ public abstract class SQLQueries {
 	@ResultColumn("n_errors")
 	protected static final String COUNT_CHANGES_FOR_JOB =
 			"SELECT COUNT(change_id) as n_changes, "
-					+ "SUM(is_error) as n_errors "
+					+ "COALESCE(SUM(is_error), 0) as n_errors "
 					+ "FROM pending_changes "
 					+ "WHERE job_id = :job_id AND from_state = :from_state "
 					+ "AND to_state = :to_state";