Occasional NPE results in empty dashboard

eclipse.buildId=3.5.0.201403291337-RELEASE-e43
java.version=1.7.0_51
java.vendor=Oracle Corporation
BootLoader constants: OS=linux, ARCH=x86_64, WS=gtk, NL=en_CA
Framework arguments:  -product org.springsource.sts.ide
Command-line arguments:  -os linux -ws gtk -arch x86_64 -product org.springsource.sts.ide

Error
Mon Mar 31 09:33:05 PDT 2014
Plug-in "org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.gettingstarted" was unable to instantiate class "org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.gettingstarted.dashboard.UpdatesProvider".

java.lang.NullPointerException
	at org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.gettingstarted.dashboard.FeedProvider.<init>(FeedProvider.java:32)
	at org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.gettingstarted.dashboard.UpdatesProvider.<init>(UpdatesProvider.java:40)
	at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:57)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45)
	at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:526)
	at java.lang.Class.newInstance(Class.java:374)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.osgi.RegistryStrategyOSGI.createExecutableExtension(RegistryStrategyOSGI.java:184)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.ExtensionRegistry.createExecutableExtension(ExtensionRegistry.java:905)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.ConfigurationElement.createExecutableExtension(ConfigurationElement.java:243)
	at org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.ConfigurationElementHandle.createExecutableExtension(ConfigurationElementHandle.java:55)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPlugin.createExtension(WorkbenchPlugin.java:274)
	at org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.browser.javafx.JavaFxBrowserManager.loadInitialFunctions(JavaFxBrowserManager.java:80)
	at org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.browser.javafx.JavaFxBrowserManager.setClient(JavaFxBrowserManager.java:70)
	at org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.browser.javafx.JavaFxBrowserEditor$2.changed(JavaFxBrowserEditor.java:96)
	at org.springsource.ide.eclipse.commons.browser.javafx.JavaFxBrowserEditor$2.changed(JavaFxBrowserEditor.java:1)
	at com.sun.javafx.binding.ExpressionHelper$Generic.fireValueChangedEvent(ExpressionHelper.java:367)
	at com.sun.javafx.binding.ExpressionHelper.fireValueChangedEvent(ExpressionHelper.java:100)
	at javafx.beans.property.ReadOnlyObjectWrapper$ReadOnlyPropertyImpl.fireValueChangedEvent(ReadOnlyObjectWrapper.java:195)
	at javafx.beans.property.ReadOnlyObjectWrapper.fireValueChangedEvent(ReadOnlyObjectWrapper.java:161)
	at javafx.beans.property.ObjectPropertyBase.markInvalid(ObjectPropertyBase.java:130)
	at javafx.beans.property.ObjectPropertyBase.set(ObjectPropertyBase.java:163)
	at javafx.scene.web.WebEngine$LoadWorker.updateState(WebEngine.java:975)
	at javafx.scene.web.WebEngine$LoadWorker.dispatchLoadEvent(WebEngine.java:1086)
	at javafx.scene.web.WebEngine$LoadWorker.access$600(WebEngine.java:968)
	at javafx.scene.web.WebEngine$PageLoadListener.dispatchLoadEvent(WebEngine.java:955)
	at com.sun.webpane.platform.WebPage.fireLoadEvent(WebPage.java:2356)
	at com.sun.webpane.platform.WebPage.fwkFireLoadEvent(WebPage.java:2204)
	at com.sun.webpane.webkit.network.URLLoader.twkDidFinishLoading(Native Method)
	at com.sun.webpane.webkit.network.URLLoader.access$1300(URLLoader.java:44)
	at com.sun.webpane.webkit.network.URLLoader$6.run(URLLoader.java:691)
	at com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:76)
	at org.eclipse.swt.internal.gtk.OS._g_main_context_iteration(Native Method)
	at org.eclipse.swt.internal.gtk.OS.g_main_context_iteration(OS.java:2302)
	at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3361)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine$9.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:1113)
	at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:332)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:997)
	at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.E4Workbench.createAndRunUI(E4Workbench.java:140)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$5.run(Workbench.java:611)
	at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:332)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:567)
	at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:150)
	at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.application.IDEApplication.start(IDEApplication.java:124)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppHandle.run(EclipseAppHandle.java:196)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java:110)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:79)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:354)
	at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:181)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:636)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:591)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1450)
	at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.main(Main.java:1426)