diff --git a/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutAnchorablePaneControl.cs b/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutAnchorablePaneControl.cs
index 8a1d8106..15640993 100644
--- a/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutAnchorablePaneControl.cs
+++ b/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutAnchorablePaneControl.cs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock.Controls
 
         protected override void OnGotKeyboardFocus(System.Windows.Input.KeyboardFocusChangedEventArgs e)
         {
-            if (_model?.SelectedContent != null)
+            if ((_model != null) && (_model.SelectedContent != null))
             {
                 _model.SelectedContent.IsActive = true;
             }
diff --git a/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutGridControl.cs b/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutGridControl.cs
index 94d4f831..c96e26dd 100644
--- a/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutGridControl.cs
+++ b/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutGridControl.cs
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ namespace Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock.Controls
 
             _model.ChildrenTreeChanged += (s, args) =>
                 {
+                    if (args.Change != ChildrenTreeChange.DirectChildrenChanged)
+                        return;
                     if (_asyncRefreshCalled.HasValue &&
                         _asyncRefreshCalled.Value == args.Change)
                         return;
diff --git a/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutItem.cs b/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutItem.cs
index e23ec50b..ae47bdb1 100644
--- a/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutItem.cs
+++ b/ExtendedWPFToolkitSolution/Src/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock/Controls/LayoutItem.cs
@@ -204,9 +204,15 @@ namespace Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock.Controls
                     _view = new ContentPresenter();
 
                     _view.SetBinding(ContentPresenter.ContentProperty, new Binding("Content") { Source = LayoutElement });
-                    _view.SetBinding(ContentPresenter.ContentTemplateProperty, new Binding("LayoutItemTemplate") { Source =  LayoutElement?.Root?.Manager});
-                    _view.SetBinding(ContentPresenter.ContentTemplateSelectorProperty, new Binding("LayoutItemTemplateSelector") { Source = LayoutElement?.Root?.Manager });
-                    LayoutElement?.Root?.Manager.InternalAddLogicalChild(_view);
+                    if ((LayoutElement != null) && (LayoutElement.Root != null))
+                    {
+                        _view.SetBinding(ContentPresenter.ContentTemplateProperty, new Binding("LayoutItemTemplate") { Source = LayoutElement.Root.Manager });
+                        _view.SetBinding(ContentPresenter.ContentTemplateSelectorProperty, new Binding("LayoutItemTemplateSelector") { Source = LayoutElement.Root.Manager });
+                        if (LayoutElement.Root.Manager != null)
+                        {
+                            LayoutElement.Root.Manager.InternalAddLogicalChild(_view);
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
 
                 return _view;