diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/internal/profiles/ProfileCallbackImpl.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/internal/profiles/ProfileCallbackImpl.java
index 6fb60c032..f3272ef04 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/internal/profiles/ProfileCallbackImpl.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/internal/profiles/ProfileCallbackImpl.java
@@ -137,6 +137,12 @@ public class ProfileCallbackImpl implements ProfileCallback {
     @Override
     public void sendUpdate(State state) {
         Item item = itemProvider.apply(link.getItemName());
+        if (item == null) {
+            logger.warn("Cannot post update event '{}' for item '{}', because no item could be found.", state,
+                    link.getItemName());
+            return;
+        }
+
         State acceptedState;
         if (state instanceof StringType && !(item instanceof StringItem)) {
             acceptedState = TypeParser.parseState(item.getAcceptedDataTypes(), state.toString());
@@ -146,6 +152,7 @@ public class ProfileCallbackImpl implements ProfileCallback {
         } else {
             acceptedState = itemStateConverter.convertToAcceptedState(state, item);
         }
+
         eventPublisher.post(
                 ItemEventFactory.createStateEvent(link.getItemName(), acceptedState, link.getLinkedUID().toString()));
     }
diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/link/ItemChannelLink.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/link/ItemChannelLink.java
index 2ae1086f7..074c46aa6 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/link/ItemChannelLink.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/link/ItemChannelLink.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 package org.openhab.core.thing.link;
 
+import org.eclipse.jdt.annotation.NonNullByDefault;
 import org.openhab.core.config.core.Configuration;
 import org.openhab.core.items.Item;
 import org.openhab.core.thing.ChannelUID;
@@ -23,9 +24,10 @@ import org.openhab.core.thing.ChannelUID;
  * @author Jochen Hiller - Bugfix 455434: added default constructor, object is now mutable
  * @author Simon Kaufmann - added configuration
  */
+@NonNullByDefault
 public class ItemChannelLink extends AbstractLink {
 
-    private final ChannelUID channelUID;
+    private final @NonNullByDefault({}) ChannelUID channelUID;
     private final Configuration configuration;
 
     /**