diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/Node.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/Node.java
index efe26f53e..88224e23f 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/Node.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/Node.java
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ abstract public class Node
                 pubSub.addExtension(pe);
             }
         }
-        PubSub reply = (PubSub) sendPubsubPacket(pubSub);
+        PubSub reply = sendPubsubPacket(pubSub);
         if (returnedExtensions != null) {
             returnedExtensions.addAll(reply.getExtensions());
         }
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ abstract public class Node
                 pubSub.addExtension(pe);
             }
         }
-        PubSub reply = (PubSub) sendPubsubPacket(pubSub);
+        PubSub reply = sendPubsubPacket(pubSub);
         if (returnedExtensions != null) {
             returnedExtensions.addAll(reply.getExtensions());
         }
@@ -293,8 +293,8 @@ abstract public class Node
 	public Subscription subscribe(String jid) throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
 	{
 	    PubSub pubSub = createPubsubPacket(Type.set, new SubscribeExtension(jid, getId()));
-		PubSub reply = (PubSub)sendPubsubPacket(pubSub);
-		return (Subscription)reply.getExtension(PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTION);
+		PubSub reply = sendPubsubPacket(pubSub);
+		return reply.getExtension(PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTION);
 	}
 	
 	/**
@@ -319,8 +319,8 @@ abstract public class Node
 	{
 	    PubSub request = createPubsubPacket(Type.set, new SubscribeExtension(jid, getId()));
 		request.addExtension(new FormNode(FormNodeType.OPTIONS, subForm));
-		PubSub reply = (PubSub)PubSubManager.sendPubsubPacket(con, request);
-		return (Subscription)reply.getExtension(PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTION);
+		PubSub reply = PubSubManager.sendPubsubPacket(con, request);
+		return reply.getExtension(PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTION);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -382,8 +382,8 @@ abstract public class Node
 	 */
 	public SubscribeForm getSubscriptionOptions(String jid, String subscriptionId) throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
 	{
-		PubSub packet = (PubSub)sendPubsubPacket(createPubsubPacket(Type.get, new OptionsExtension(jid, getId(), subscriptionId)));
-		FormNode ext = (FormNode)packet.getExtension(PubSubElementType.OPTIONS);
+		PubSub packet = sendPubsubPacket(createPubsubPacket(Type.get, new OptionsExtension(jid, getId(), subscriptionId)));
+		FormNode ext = packet.getExtension(PubSubElementType.OPTIONS);
 		return new SubscribeForm(ext.getForm());
 	}
 
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ abstract public class Node
 		return PubSub.createPubsubPacket(to, type, ext, ns);
 	}
 
-	protected Packet sendPubsubPacket(PubSub packet) throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
+	protected PubSub sendPubsubPacket(PubSub packet) throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
 	{
 		return PubSubManager.sendPubsubPacket(con, packet);
 	}
diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/PubSubManager.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/PubSubManager.java
index 8a13c1262..e91939220 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/PubSubManager.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/PubSubManager.java
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import org.jivesoftware.smack.SmackException.NoResponseException;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.SmackException.NotConnectedException;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.XMPPConnection;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.XMPPException.XMPPErrorException;
+import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.EmptyResultIQ;
+import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.IQ;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.IQ.Type;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.Packet;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.PacketExtension;
@@ -87,8 +89,8 @@ final public class PubSubManager
 	 */
 	public LeafNode createNode() throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
 	{
-		PubSub reply = (PubSub)sendPubsubPacket(Type.set, new NodeExtension(PubSubElementType.CREATE), null);
-		NodeExtension elem = (NodeExtension)reply.getExtension("create", PubSubNamespace.BASIC.getXmlns());
+		PubSub reply = sendPubsubPacket(Type.set, new NodeExtension(PubSubElementType.CREATE), null);
+		NodeExtension elem = reply.getExtension("create", PubSubNamespace.BASIC.getXmlns());
 		
 		LeafNode newNode = new LeafNode(con, elem.getNode());
 		newNode.setTo(to);
@@ -232,7 +234,7 @@ final public class PubSubManager
 	public List<Subscription> getSubscriptions() throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
 	{
 		Packet reply = sendPubsubPacket(Type.get, new NodeExtension(PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTIONS), null);
-		SubscriptionsExtension subElem = (SubscriptionsExtension)reply.getExtension(PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTIONS.getElementName(), PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTIONS.getNamespace().getXmlns());
+		SubscriptionsExtension subElem = reply.getExtension(PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTIONS.getElementName(), PubSubElementType.SUBSCRIPTIONS.getNamespace().getXmlns());
 		return subElem.getSubscriptions();
 	}
 	
@@ -247,8 +249,8 @@ final public class PubSubManager
 	 */
 	public List<Affiliation> getAffiliations() throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
 	{
-		PubSub reply = (PubSub)sendPubsubPacket(Type.get, new NodeExtension(PubSubElementType.AFFILIATIONS), null);
-		AffiliationsExtension listElem = (AffiliationsExtension)reply.getExtension(PubSubElementType.AFFILIATIONS);
+		PubSub reply = sendPubsubPacket(Type.get, new NodeExtension(PubSubElementType.AFFILIATIONS), null);
+		AffiliationsExtension listElem = reply.getExtension(PubSubElementType.AFFILIATIONS);
 		return listElem.getAffiliations();
 	}
 
@@ -278,7 +280,7 @@ final public class PubSubManager
 	{
 		// Errors will cause exceptions in getReply, so it only returns
 		// on success.
-		PubSub reply = (PubSub)sendPubsubPacket(Type.get, new NodeExtension(PubSubElementType.DEFAULT), PubSubElementType.DEFAULT.getNamespace());
+		PubSub reply = sendPubsubPacket(Type.get, new NodeExtension(PubSubElementType.DEFAULT), PubSubElementType.DEFAULT.getNamespace());
 		return NodeUtils.getFormFromPacket(reply, PubSubElementType.DEFAULT);
 	}
 	
@@ -297,12 +299,12 @@ final public class PubSubManager
 		return mgr.discoverInfo(to);
 	}
 
-    private Packet sendPubsubPacket(Type type, PacketExtension ext, PubSubNamespace ns)
+    private PubSub sendPubsubPacket(Type type, PacketExtension ext, PubSubNamespace ns)
                     throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException {
         return sendPubsubPacket(con, to, type, Collections.singletonList(ext), ns);
     }
 
-	static Packet sendPubsubPacket(XMPPConnection con, String to, Type type, List<PacketExtension> extList, PubSubNamespace ns) throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
+	static PubSub sendPubsubPacket(XMPPConnection con, String to, Type type, List<PacketExtension> extList, PubSubNamespace ns) throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
 	{
 	    PubSub pubSub = new PubSub(to, type, ns);
 	    for (PacketExtension pe : extList) {
@@ -311,9 +313,13 @@ final public class PubSubManager
 		return sendPubsubPacket(con ,pubSub);
 	}
 
-	static Packet sendPubsubPacket(XMPPConnection con, PubSub packet) throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
+	static PubSub sendPubsubPacket(XMPPConnection con, PubSub packet) throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException
 	{
-		return con.createPacketCollectorAndSend(packet).nextResultOrThrow();
+		IQ resultIQ = con.createPacketCollectorAndSend(packet).nextResultOrThrow();
+        if (resultIQ instanceof EmptyResultIQ) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return (PubSub) resultIQ;
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/util/NodeUtils.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/util/NodeUtils.java
index 319dc101e..78d83e55a 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/util/NodeUtils.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/pubsub/util/NodeUtils.java
@@ -38,9 +38,8 @@ public class NodeUtils
 	 */
 	public static ConfigureForm getFormFromPacket(Packet packet, PubSubElementType elem)
 	{
-		FormNode config = (FormNode)packet.getExtension(elem.getElementName(), elem.getNamespace().getXmlns());
+		FormNode config = packet.getExtension(elem.getElementName(), elem.getNamespace().getXmlns());
 		Form formReply = config.getForm();
 		return new ConfigureForm(formReply);
-
 	}
 }