diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 8769979f9..78c6c7e86 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -69,8 +69,10 @@ module ApplicationHelper
   def smart_annotation_notification(options = {})
     title = options.fetch(:title) { :title_must_be_present }
     message = options.fetch(:message) { :message_must_be_present }
-    new_text = options.fetch(:new_text) { :new_text_must_be_present }
     old_text = options[:old_text] || ''
+    new_text = options[:new_text]
+    return if new_text.blank?
+
     sa_user = /\[\@(.*?)~([0-9a-zA-Z]+)\]/
     # fetch user ids from the previous text
     old_user_ids = []
diff --git a/app/models/tiny_mce_asset.rb b/app/models/tiny_mce_asset.rb
index b2b0bb1cf..9a7300407 100644
--- a/app/models/tiny_mce_asset.rb
+++ b/app/models/tiny_mce_asset.rb
@@ -22,12 +22,9 @@ class TinyMceAsset < ApplicationRecord
   validates :estimated_size, presence: true
 
   def self.update_images(object, images, current_user)
+    text_field = object.public_send(Extends::RICH_TEXT_FIELD_MAPPINGS[object.class.name]) || ''
     # image ids that are present in text
-    text_images =
-      object.public_send(Extends::RICH_TEXT_FIELD_MAPPINGS[object.class.name])
-            .scan(/data-mce-token="([^"]+)"/)
-            .flatten
-
+    text_images = text_field.scan(/data-mce-token="([^"]+)"/).flatten
     images = JSON.parse(images) + text_images
 
     current_images = object.tiny_mce_assets.pluck(:id)