diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Security/MembershipProviderBase.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Security/MembershipProviderBase.cs
index efee6f4893..4d4dad3fe8 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Security/MembershipProviderBase.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Security/MembershipProviderBase.cs
@@ -521,7 +521,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Security
 
         public override string ResetPassword(string username, string answer)
         {
-            var canReset = this.CanResetPassword(ApplicationContext.Current.Services.UserService);                
+            var userService = ApplicationContext.Current == null ? null : ApplicationContext.Current.Services.UserService;
+
+            var canReset = this.CanResetPassword(userService);                
 
             if (canReset == false)
             {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Security/MembershipProviderExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Security/MembershipProviderExtensions.cs
index ebd42bd781..645de22ab8 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Security/MembershipProviderExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Security/MembershipProviderExtensions.cs
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Security
         internal static bool CanResetPassword(this MembershipProvider provider, IUserService userService)
         {
             if (provider == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("provider");
-            if (userService == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("userService");
-
+            
             var canReset = provider.EnablePasswordReset;
 
+            if (userService == null) return canReset;
+
             //we need to check for the special case in which a user is an admin - in which acse they can reset the password even if EnablePasswordReset == false
             if (provider.EnablePasswordReset == false)
             {