diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/operations/column/ColumnAdditionByFetchingURLsOperation.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/operations/column/ColumnAdditionByFetchingURLsOperation.java
index f64f98c58..f08f83887 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/operations/column/ColumnAdditionByFetchingURLsOperation.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/operations/column/ColumnAdditionByFetchingURLsOperation.java
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public class ColumnAdditionByFetchingURLsOperation extends EngineDependentOperat
                 .expireAfterWrite(10, TimeUnit.MINUTES)
                 .build(
                      new CacheLoader<String, Serializable>() {
-                        public Serializable load(String urlString) {
+                        public Serializable load(String urlString) throws Exception {
                             Serializable result = fetch(urlString);
                             try {
                                 // Always sleep for the delay, no matter how long the
@@ -214,8 +214,13 @@ public class ColumnAdditionByFetchingURLsOperation extends EngineDependentOperat
                                     Thread.sleep(_delay);
                                 }
                             } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-                                return null;
+                                result = null;
                             }
+
+			    if (result == null) {
+				// the load method should not return any null value
+				throw new Exception("null result returned by fetch");
+			    }
                             return result;
                         }
                      });
@@ -304,7 +309,7 @@ public class ColumnAdditionByFetchingURLsOperation extends EngineDependentOperat
         Serializable cachedFetch(String urlString) {
             try {
                 return  _urlCache.get(urlString);
-            } catch(ExecutionException e) {
+            } catch(Exception e) {
                 return null;
             }
         }
diff --git a/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/model/UrlFetchingTests.java b/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/model/UrlFetchingTests.java
index 10419225f..3b84a5363 100644
--- a/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/model/UrlFetchingTests.java
+++ b/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/model/UrlFetchingTests.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ import com.google.refine.browsing.Engine;
 import com.google.refine.browsing.RowVisitor;
 import com.google.refine.grel.Function;
 import com.google.refine.io.FileProjectManager;
+import com.google.refine.expr.ExpressionUtils;
 import com.google.refine.model.Cell;
 import com.google.refine.model.Column;
 import com.google.refine.model.ModelException;
@@ -160,5 +161,46 @@ public class UrlFetchingTests extends RefineTest {
 	    Assert.assertEquals(project.rows.get(i).getCellValue(1), ref_val);
 	}
     }
-    
+
+    /**
+     * Fetch invalid URLs
+     * https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/issues/1219
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testInvalidUrl() throws Exception {
+        Row row0 = new Row(2);
+        row0.setCell(0, new Cell("auinrestrsc", null)); // malformed -> null
+        project.rows.add(row0);
+        Row row1 = new Row(2);
+        row1.setCell(0, new Cell("https://www.random.org/integers/?num=1&min=1&max=100&col=1&base=10&format=plain", null)); // fine
+        project.rows.add(row1);
+        Row row2 = new Row(2);
+        row2.setCell(0, new Cell("http://anursiebcuiesldcresturce.detur/anusclbc", null)); // well-formed but invalid
+        project.rows.add(row2);
+	EngineDependentOperation op = new ColumnAdditionByFetchingURLsOperation(engine_config,
+		"fruits",
+		"value",
+		OnError.StoreError,
+		"junk",
+		1,
+		50,
+		true);
+	ProcessManager pm = project.getProcessManager();
+        Process process = op.createProcess(project, options);
+	process.startPerforming(pm);
+	Assert.assertTrue(process.isRunning());
+	try {
+	    Thread.sleep(5000);
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+	    Assert.fail("Test interrupted");
+        }
+	Assert.assertFalse(process.isRunning());
+
+	int newCol = project.columnModel.getColumnByName("junk").getCellIndex();
+	// Inspect rows
+	Assert.assertEquals(project.rows.get(0).getCellValue(newCol), null);
+	Assert.assertTrue(project.rows.get(1).getCellValue(newCol) != null);
+	Assert.assertTrue(ExpressionUtils.isError(project.rows.get(2).getCellValue(newCol)));
+    }
+
 }