Index: lams_monitoring/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/monitoring/web/GateAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r6e5832d17263bc6c6f7683733e91e22f97eab569 -ra8b468d260ed66f6220a819377b7495c1c32788d
--- lams_monitoring/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/monitoring/web/GateAction.java	(.../GateAction.java)	(revision 6e5832d17263bc6c6f7683733e91e22f97eab569)
+++ lams_monitoring/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/monitoring/web/GateAction.java	(.../GateAction.java)	(revision a8b468d260ed66f6220a819377b7495c1c32788d)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
         long lessonId = WebUtil.readLongParam(request,PARAM_LESSON_ID);
 
         Long gateIdLong = (Long)gateForm.get("activityId");
-        long gateId = WebUtil.checkLong("activityId", gateIdLong);
+        long gateId = gateIdLong != null ? gateIdLong.longValue() : -1 ;
         
         this.monitoringService = MonitoringServiceProxy.getMonitoringService(getServlet().getServletContext());
         this.learnerService = MonitoringServiceProxy.getLearnerService(getServlet().getServletContext());
Index: lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbLearnerStarterAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r74804514d697b22ea2afdb8d1daf1c3b7797e793 -ra8b468d260ed66f6220a819377b7495c1c32788d
--- lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbLearnerStarterAction.java	(.../NbLearnerStarterAction.java)	(revision 74804514d697b22ea2afdb8d1daf1c3b7797e793)
+++ lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbLearnerStarterAction.java	(.../NbLearnerStarterAction.java)	(revision a8b468d260ed66f6220a819377b7495c1c32788d)
@@ -202,8 +202,7 @@
         ActionMessages message = new ActionMessages();
         INoticeboardService nbService = NoticeboardServiceProxy.getNbService(getServlet().getServletContext());
         
-        Long toolSessionId = new Long(WebUtil.checkLong(NoticeboardConstants.TOOL_SESSION_ID, 
-    			request.getParameter(NoticeboardConstants.TOOL_SESSION_ID)));
+        Long toolSessionId = WebUtil.readLongParam(request, NoticeboardConstants.TOOL_SESSION_ID,false);
 
         nbContent = nbService.retrieveNoticeboardBySessionID(toolSessionId);