diff --git a/common/static/js/vendor/ova/catch/js/catch.js b/common/static/js/vendor/ova/catch/js/catch.js
index a5da7106a8..0a3a35f432 100644
--- a/common/static/js/vendor/ova/catch/js/catch.js
+++ b/common/static/js/vendor/ova/catch/js/catch.js
@@ -546,9 +546,11 @@ CatchAnnotation.prototype = {
             // public or is equal to the person with update access, then we leave it alone,
             // otherwise we need to clean them up (i.e. disable them).
             if (self.options.userId !== '' && self.options.userId !== value.permissions.update[0]) {
-                $.each(value.highlights, function(key1, value1){
-                    $(value1).removeClass('annotator-hl');
-                });
+                if (value.highlights !== undefined) {
+                    $.each(value.highlights, function(key1, value1){
+                        $(value1).removeClass('annotator-hl');
+                    });
+                }
             }
         });
     },
@@ -1196,11 +1198,11 @@ CatchAnnotation.prototype = {
         
         annotations.forEach(function(ann){
             var child, h, _i, _len, _ref;
-            if (ann.highlights !== null) {
+            if (ann.highlights !== undefined) {
                 _ref = ann.highlights;
                 for (_i = 0, _len = _ref.length; _i < _len; _i++) {
                     h = _ref[_i];
-                    if (!(h.parentNode !== null)) {
+                    if (!(h.parentNode !== undefined)) {
                         continue;
                     }
                     child = h.childNodes[0];
diff --git a/common/static/js/vendor/ova/grouping-annotator.js b/common/static/js/vendor/ova/grouping-annotator.js
index a17fb63ffb..51ea410a1f 100644
--- a/common/static/js/vendor/ova/grouping-annotator.js
+++ b/common/static/js/vendor/ova/grouping-annotator.js
@@ -145,15 +145,19 @@ Annotator.Plugin.Grouping = (function(_super) {
         $.each(lineAnnDict, function(key, val) {
             if (val.length > self.groupthreshold) {
                 val.forEach(function(anno){
-                    $.each(anno.highlights, function(key, anno) {
-                       $(anno).css("background-color", "inherit");   
-                    });
+                    if (anno.highlights !== undefined) {
+                        $.each(anno.highlights, function(key, anno) {
+                           $(anno).css("background-color", "inherit");   
+                        });
+                    }
                 });
             } else {
                 val.forEach(function(anno) {
-                    $.each(anno.highlights, function(key, anno) {
-                       $(anno).css("background-color", "rgba(255, 255, 10, .3)");   
-                    });
+                    if (anno.highlights !== undefined) {
+                        $.each(anno.highlights, function(key, anno) {
+                           $(anno).css("background-color", "rgba(255, 255, 10, .3)");   
+                        });
+                    }
                 });
             }
         });
@@ -187,14 +191,18 @@ Annotator.Plugin.Grouping = (function(_super) {
                 $(newdiv).click(function(evt){
                     if($(evt.srcElement).attr("data-selected") === '0') {
                         annotations.forEach(function(annot){
-                            $.each(annot.highlights, function(key, ann) {
-                                $(ann).css("background-color", "inherit");
-                            });
+                            if (annot.highlights !== undefined) {
+                                $.each(annot.highlights, function(key, ann) {
+                                    $(ann).css("background-color", "inherit");
+                                });
+                            }
                         });
                         self.groupedAnnotations[$(evt.srcElement).css("top").replace("px", "")].forEach(function(item) {
-                            $.each(item.highlights, function(key, ann) {
-                                $(ann).css("background-color", "rgba(255, 255, 10, 0.3)");
-                            });
+                            if (item.highlights !== undefined) {
+                                $.each(item.highlights, function(key, ann) {
+                                    $(ann).css("background-color", "rgba(255, 255, 10, 0.3)");
+                                });
+                            }
                         });
                         $(evt.srcElement).attr("data-selected", '1');
                     } else {
@@ -237,9 +245,11 @@ Annotator.Plugin.Grouping = (function(_super) {
             $(".onOffGroupButton").html("Annotation Grouping: OFF");
             $(".onOffGroupButton").addClass("buttonOff");
             this.annotator.plugins.Store.annotations.forEach(function(annot) {
-                $.each(annot.highlights, function(key, ann) {
-                $(ann).css("background-color", "");
-                });
+                if (annot.highlights !== undefined) {
+                    $.each(annot.highlights, function(key, ann) {
+                        $(ann).css("background-color", "");
+                    });
+                }
             });
             
             // deals with the HighlightTags Plug-In