diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Ship.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Ship.pm
index 7906bf52e..a06460b45 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Ship.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Ship.pm
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package WebGUI::Shop::Ship;
 
 use strict;
 
-use Carp qw(croak);
 use WebGUI::International;
 use WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver;
 use WebGUI::Pluggable;
@@ -104,8 +103,9 @@ A WebGUI::Session object.  A WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam exception will be throw
 sub getOptions {
     my $class      = shift;
     my $session    = shift;
-    croak "Definition requires a session object"
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error => q{Must provide a session variable})
         unless ref $session eq 'WebGUI::Session';
+    return;
 }
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/ShipDriver.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/ShipDriver.pm
index aa3e77959..766b25cbd 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/ShipDriver.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/ShipDriver.pm
@@ -273,8 +273,11 @@ sub new {
     my $properties = $session->db->quickHashRef('select * from shipper where shipperId=?',[$shipperId]);
     WebGUI::Error::ObjectNotFound->throw(error => q{shipperId not found in db}, id => $shipperId)
         unless scalar keys %{ $properties };
-    croak "Somehow, the options property of this object, $shipperId, got broken in the db"
-        unless exists $properties->{options} and $properties->{options};
+    ##This check is just to guardband the from_json call below.
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(
+        error => qq{Options property for $shipperId was broken in the db},
+        param => $properties->{options},
+    ) unless $properties->{options};  ##Note, existence is controlled by the columns in the db
     my $options = from_json($properties->{options});
     my $self = WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver->_buildObj($session, $class, $shipperId, $options);
     return $self;
diff --git a/t/Shop/Ship.t b/t/Shop/Ship.t
index 229e4f09e..018c995f6 100644
--- a/t/Shop/Ship.t
+++ b/t/Shop/Ship.t
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ my $session         = WebGUI::Test->session;
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Tests
 
-my $tests = 27;
+my $tests = 29;
 plan tests => 1 + $tests;
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -220,6 +220,23 @@ cmp_bag(
     'Returned shippers have the right data'
 );
 
+#######################################################################
+#
+# getOptions
+#
+#######################################################################
+
+eval { $shippers = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->getOptions(); };
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'getOptions takes exception to not giving it a session object');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'Must provide a session variable',
+    ),
+    'getOptions takes exception to not giving it a session object',
+);
+
 }
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/t/Shop/ShipDriver.t b/t/Shop/ShipDriver.t
index d23ace6b9..8bc7a080c 100644
--- a/t/Shop/ShipDriver.t
+++ b/t/Shop/ShipDriver.t
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ my $session         = WebGUI::Test->session;
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Tests
 
-my $tests = 39;
+my $tests = 42;
 plan tests => 1 + $tests;
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -302,10 +302,35 @@ is($driver->getId,           $driverCopy->getId,     'same id');
 is($driver->className,       $driverCopy->className, 'same className');
 cmp_deeply($driver->options, $driverCopy->options,   'same options');
 
-TODO: {
-    local $TODO = 'tests for new';
-    ok(0, 'Test broken options in the db');
-}
+my $brokenDriver = WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver->create($session, {label=>'to be broken', enabled=>'0'});
+$session->db->write('update shipper set options=NULL where shipperId=?',[$brokenDriver->getId]);
+
+eval { $oldDriver = WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver->new($session, $brokenDriver->getId); };
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'new croaks if the options column in the db is null');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => re('Options property for \S{22} was broken in the db'),
+        param => undef,
+    ),
+    'new croaks if the options column in the db is null',
+);
+
+$session->db->write(q{update shipper set options='' where shipperId=?},[$brokenDriver->getId]);
+
+eval { $oldDriver = WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver->new($session, $brokenDriver->getId); };
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'new croaks if the options column in the db is empty string');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => re('Options property for \S{22} was broken in the db'),
+        param => '',
+    ),
+    'new croaks if the options column in the db is empty string',
+);
+
 
 #######################################################################
 #