diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Exts.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Exts.cs
index 527bb0e88f..4aa6bd27e9 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Exts.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Exts.cs
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			return string.Format(fmt, args);
 		}
 
+		public static string TrimOrEmpty(this string input)
+		{
+			return input != null ? input.Trim() : string.Empty;
+		}
+
 		public static T WithDefault<T>(T def, Func<T> f)
 		{
 			try { return f(); }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/InstallFromCDLogic.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/InstallFromCDLogic.cs
index 4b050a2c70..e14dd571d9 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/InstallFromCDLogic.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/InstallFromCDLogic.cs
@@ -71,10 +71,10 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets.Logic
 			installingContainer.IsVisible = () => true;
 
 			var dest = new string[] { Platform.SupportDir, "Content", Game.modData.Manifest.Mod.Id }.Aggregate(Path.Combine);
-			var copyFiles = Game.modData.Manifest.ContentInstaller["CopyFilesFromCD"].Split(',').Select(x => x.Trim()).ToArray();
+			var copyFiles = Game.modData.Manifest.ContentInstaller["CopyFilesFromCD"].Split(',').Select(x => x.TrimOrEmpty()).ToArray();
 
-			var extractPackage = Game.modData.Manifest.ContentInstaller["PackageToExtractFromCD"].Trim();
-			var extractFiles = Game.modData.Manifest.ContentInstaller["ExtractFilesFromCD"].Split(',').Select(x => x.Trim()).ToArray();
+			var extractPackage = Game.modData.Manifest.ContentInstaller["PackageToExtractFromCD"].TrimOrEmpty();
+			var extractFiles = Game.modData.Manifest.ContentInstaller["ExtractFilesFromCD"].Split(',').Select(x => x.TrimOrEmpty()).ToArray();
 
 			var installCounter = 0;
 			var installTotal = copyFiles.Count() + extractFiles.Count();