diff --git a/bin/zeppelin.sh b/bin/zeppelin.sh
index 92d7f7ead96..701b8901c4b 100755
--- a/bin/zeppelin.sh
+++ b/bin/zeppelin.sh
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ if [[ ! -d "${ZEPPELIN_PID_DIR}" ]]; then
 fi
 
 if [[ ! -d "${ZEPPELIN_NOTEBOOK_DIR}" ]]; then
-  echo "Pid dir doesn't exist, create ${ZEPPELIN_NOTEBOOK_DIR}"
+  echo "Notebook dir doesn't exist, create ${ZEPPELIN_NOTEBOOK_DIR}"
   $(mkdir -p "${ZEPPELIN_NOTEBOOK_DIR}")
 fi
 
diff --git a/python/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/python/PythonInterpreter.java b/python/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/python/PythonInterpreter.java
index 23aeca24802..e80548f0eaf 100644
--- a/python/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/python/PythonInterpreter.java
+++ b/python/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/python/PythonInterpreter.java
@@ -125,8 +125,12 @@ public void close() {
 
     logger.info("closing Python interpreter .....");
     try {
-      process.close();
-      gatewayServer.shutdown();
+      if (process != null) {
+        process.close();
+      }
+      if (gatewayServer != null) {
+        gatewayServer.shutdown();
+      }
     } catch (IOException e) {
       logger.error("Can't close the interpreter", e);
     }