diff --git a/core/modules/parsers/wikiparser/rules/table.js b/core/modules/parsers/wikiparser/rules/table.js
index df8f69738..c5c39f5a0 100644
--- a/core/modules/parsers/wikiparser/rules/table.js
+++ b/core/modules/parsers/wikiparser/rules/table.js
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ var processRow = function(prevColumns) {
 		} else if(cellMatch[2]) {
 			// End of row
 			if(prevCell && colSpanCount > 1) {
-				try {
-					colSpanCount += prevCell.attributes.colspan.value;
-				} catch(e) {
+				if(prevCell.attributes && prevCell.attributes && prevCell.attributes.colspan) {
+						colSpanCount += prevCell.attributes.colspan.value;
+				} else {
 					colSpanCount -= 1;
 				}
 				$tw.utils.addAttributeToParseTreeNode(prevCell,"colspan",colSpanCount);
diff --git a/core/modules/utils/parsetree.js b/core/modules/utils/parsetree.js
index d21659c22..123ca011b 100644
--- a/core/modules/utils/parsetree.js
+++ b/core/modules/utils/parsetree.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ exports.addAttributeToParseTreeNode = function(node,name,value) {
 };
 
 exports.getAttributeValueFromParseTreeNode = function(node,name,defaultValue) {
-	if(node.type === "element" && node.attributes && node.attributes[name] && node.attributes[name].value != undefined) {
+	if(node.type === "element" && node.attributes && node.attributes[name] && node.attributes[name].value !== undefined) {
 		return node.attributes[name].value;
 	}
 	return defaultValue;