diff --git a/Lib/robofab/objects/objectsDefcon.py b/Lib/robofab/objects/objectsDefcon.py
index 3cf502bce..8009a22db 100644
--- a/Lib/robofab/objects/objectsDefcon.py
+++ b/Lib/robofab/objects/objectsDefcon.py
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ class RGlyph(BaseGlyph):
 	# Metrics
 
 	def _get_box(self):
-		bounds = self._obejct.bounds
+		bounds = self._object.bounds
 		if bounds is None:
 			bounds = (0, 0, 0, 0)
 		return bounds
diff --git a/Lib/ufoLib/__init__.py b/Lib/ufoLib/__init__.py
index a1add830b..f3e03cfd1 100755
--- a/Lib/ufoLib/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/ufoLib/__init__.py
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ class UFOWriter(object):
 			raise UFOLibError("The UFO located at this path is a higher version (%d) than the version (%d) that is trying to be written. This is not supported." % (previousFormatVersion, formatVersion))
 		# handle the layer contents
 		self.layerContents = {}
-		if previousFormatVersion >= 3:
+		if previousFormatVersion is not None and previousFormatVersion >= 3:
 			# already exists
 			self._readLayerContents()
 		else: