diff --git a/app/models/group.rb b/app/models/group.rb
index d2fc577acd9..06345c6d1ee 100644
--- a/app/models/group.rb
+++ b/app/models/group.rb
@@ -392,10 +392,10 @@ class Group < ActiveRecord::Base
       { :id => TAB_DISCUSSIONS,   :label => t("#group.tabs.discussions", "Discussions"), :css_class => 'discussions', :href => :group_discussion_topics_path },
       { :id => TAB_COLLECTIONS,   :label => t("#group.tabs.collections", "Collections"), :css_class => 'collections', :href => :group_collections_path },
       { :id => TAB_CHAT,          :label => t("#group.tabs.chat", "Chat"), :css_class => 'chat', :href => :group_chat_path },
+      { :id => TAB_FILES,         :label => t("#group.tabs.files", "Files"), :css_class => 'files', :href => :group_files_path },
       { :id => TAB_PROFILE,       :label => t('#tabs.profile', 'Profile'), :css_class => 'profile', :href => :group_profile_path },
     ]
 
-    available_tabs << { :id => TAB_FILES, :label => t("#group.tabs.files", "Files"), :css_class => 'files', :href => :group_files_path } if context_type == 'Course'
     available_tabs << { :id => TAB_CONFERENCES, :label => t('#tabs.conferences', "Conferences"), :css_class => 'conferences', :href => :group_conferences_path } if user && self.grants_right?(user, nil, :read)
     available_tabs << { :id => TAB_SETTINGS, :label => t('#tabs.settings', 'Settings'), :css_class => 'settings', :href => :edit_group_path } if user && grants_right?(user, nil, :manage)
     available_tabs
diff --git a/lib/text_helper.rb b/lib/text_helper.rb
index 76fe76b8ee1..6f9e107bb14 100644
--- a/lib/text_helper.rb
+++ b/lib/text_helper.rb
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ module TextHelper
     # insert placeholders for the links we're going to generate, before we go and escape all the html
     links = []
     placeholder_blocks = []
+    message ||= ''
     message = message.gsub(AUTO_LINKIFY_REGEX) do |match|
       placeholder_blocks << if match == AUTO_LINKIFY_PLACEHOLDER
         AUTO_LINKIFY_PLACEHOLDER
diff --git a/spec/models/group_spec.rb b/spec/models/group_spec.rb
index 3f56e3efc79..52e2a3dbb8a 100644
--- a/spec/models/group_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/group_spec.rb
@@ -488,9 +488,12 @@ describe Group do
         Group::TAB_PAGES,
         Group::TAB_PEOPLE,
         Group::TAB_DISCUSSIONS,
+        Group::TAB_COLLECTIONS,
         Group::TAB_CHAT,
         Group::TAB_FILES,
-        Group::TAB_CONFERENCES
+        Group::TAB_PROFILE,
+        Group::TAB_CONFERENCES,
+        Group::TAB_SETTINGS
       ]
     end
 
@@ -501,9 +504,12 @@ describe Group do
         Group::TAB_PAGES,
         Group::TAB_PEOPLE,
         Group::TAB_DISCUSSIONS,
+        Group::TAB_COLLECTIONS,
         Group::TAB_CHAT,
         Group::TAB_FILES,
-        Group::TAB_CONFERENCES
+        Group::TAB_PROFILE,
+        Group::TAB_CONFERENCES,
+        Group::TAB_SETTINGS
       ]
     end