diff --git a/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/db/ThumbnailDatabase.java b/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/db/ThumbnailDatabase.java
index ea0fd4e..314ae90 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/db/ThumbnailDatabase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/db/ThumbnailDatabase.java
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ public class ThumbnailDatabase extends TupleBinding<CachedImage> {
         img.mimeType = in.readString();
         int lobLen = in.readInt(); 
         img.bits = new byte[lobLen];
-        in.read(img.bits, 0, lobLen);
+        if (lobLen > 0) {
+            in.read(img.bits, 0, lobLen);
+        }
         return img;
     }
 
@@ -104,8 +106,12 @@ public class ThumbnailDatabase extends TupleBinding<CachedImage> {
         out.writeInt(1);  // version 1
         out.writeLong(img.lastModified);
         out.writeString(img.mimeType);
-        out.writeInt(img.bits.length);
-        out.write(img.bits);
+        if (img.bits != null) {
+            out.writeInt(img.bits.length);
+            out.write(img.bits);
+        } else {
+            out.writeInt(0);
+        }
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/web/AlbumServlet.java b/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/web/AlbumServlet.java
index f9e276a..183f93e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/web/AlbumServlet.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/web/AlbumServlet.java
@@ -468,7 +468,8 @@ public class AlbumServlet
             if (cimg == null) {
                 cimg = pictureScaler.scalePicture(file, thumbnail, size);
                 thumbDb.store(key, cimg);
-                log.info("             " + key + " added to the cache with size " + cimg.bits.length + " -- now " + thumbDb.size() + " entries");
+                int byteSize = cimg.bits != null ? cimg.bits.length : 0;
+                log.info("             " + key + " added to the cache with size " + byteSize + " -- now " + thumbDb.size() + " entries");
             }
             res.setStatus(HttpServletResponse.SC_OK);
             res.setDateHeader("Last-Modified", file.lastModified());
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/web/PictureScaler.java b/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/web/PictureScaler.java
index 529061c..4b6d81b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/web/PictureScaler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/forkalsrud/album/web/PictureScaler.java
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@ public class PictureScaler {
 		}
 
 		BufferedImage img = ImageIO.read(file);
+		if (img == null) {
+			CachedImage cimg = new CachedImage();
+			cimg.lastModified = file.lastModified();
+			cimg.mimeType = "image/jpeg";
+			cimg.bits = new byte[0];
+			return cimg;
+		}
 
         // The orientation is about flipping and rotating.  Here is what an 'F' looks like
         // on pictures with each orientation.
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/assets/render.js b/src/main/webapp/assets/render.js
index e574dc5..cfa8d86 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/assets/render.js
+++ b/src/main/webapp/assets/render.js
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ $(function() {
     }
 
 
+    function encUri(str) {
+       return encodeURI(str)
+                 .replace(/%5B/g, "[")
+                 .replace(/%5D/g, "]")
+                 .replace(/[!'()*?&#]/g, function (c) {
+                    return "%" + c.charCodeAt(0).toString(16).toUpperCase();
+                 });
+    }
+
     function renderGrid(data, textStatus) {
 
         var container = $("#container");
@@ -34,7 +43,7 @@ $(function() {
                 isWrapped = imgElement.parent().get()[0].tagName == "A",
                 anchor = isWrapped ? imgElement.parent() : $("<a></a>");
             if (destination) {
-                anchor.attr("href", encodeURI("/photo/album" + destination + ".album") + location.search);
+                anchor.attr("href", encUri("/photo/album" + destination + ".album") + location.search);
                 if (!isWrapped) {
                     imgElement.wrap(anchor);
                 }
@@ -77,8 +86,8 @@ $(function() {
 
             var gridDiv = $("<div class=\"grid\">\n"
                        		+ "   <span class=\"name\">" + entry.name + "</span><br/>\n"
-                       		+ "   <div class=\"imgborder\"><a class=\"ss\" id=\"ent" + idx + "\" href=\"/photo/album" + encodeURI(entry.path) + "?size=" + picSize + "\" title=\"" + entry.name + "\">"
-                       		+ "<img class=\"" + entry.type + "pic\" src=\"/photo/album" + (entry.thumbtype == "movie" ? encodeURI(entry.path) + ".frame" : encodeURI(entry.path)) + "?size=" + thmb + "\" border=\"0\" width=\"" + dim.w + "\" height=\"" + dim.h + "\"/></a></div>\n"
+                            + "   <div class=\"imgborder\"><a class=\"ss\" id=\"ent" + idx + "\" href=\"/photo/album" + encUri(entry.path) + "?size=" + picSize + "\" title=\"" + entry.name + "\">"
+                            + "<img class=\"" + entry.type + "pic\" src=\"/photo/album" + (entry.thumbtype == "movie" ? encUri(entry.path) + ".frame" : encUri(entry.path)) + "?size=" + thmb + "\" border=\"0\" width=\"" + dim.w + "\" height=\"" + dim.h + "\"/></a></div>\n"
                        		+ "</div>\n");
 
             var captionP = $("<p class=\"caption\"></p>\n");
@@ -134,7 +143,7 @@ $(function() {
 
 
     $("#search").on("submit", function () {
-        var searchStr = "?q=" + encodeURI($("#searchBox").val());
+        var searchStr = "?q=" + encUri($("#searchBox").val());
         history.pushState({ }, null, searchStr);
         $.getJSON(location.pathname.replace(/\.album(\?|$)/, '.json') + searchStr, renderGrid);
         return false;