diff --git a/source/io/module_eggShell.js b/source/io/module_eggShell.js
index aae6ac1a3..ff8d2c497 100644
--- a/source/io/module_eggShell.js
+++ b/source/io/module_eggShell.js
@@ -232,16 +232,19 @@ var assignEggShell;
             var dataStackPointer = Module.stackAlloc(POINTER_SIZE);
 
             var eggShellResult = Module._EggShell_FindValue(Module.eggShell.v_userShell, viStackPointer, pathStackPointer, typeStackPointer, dataStackPointer);
-            if (eggShellResult !== EGGSHELL_RESULT.SUCCESS) {
+            if (eggShellResult !== EGGSHELL_RESULT.SUCCESS && eggShellResult !== EGGSHELL_RESULT.OBJECT_NOT_FOUND_AT_PATH) {
                 throw new Error('A ValueRef could not be made for the following reason: ' + eggShellResultEnum[eggShellResult] +
                     ' (error code: ' + eggShellResult + ')' +
                     ' (vi name: ' + vi + ')' +
                     ' (path: ' + path + ')');
             }
 
-            var typeRef = Module.getValue(typeStackPointer, 'i32');
-            var dataRef = Module.getValue(dataStackPointer, 'i32');
-            var valueRef = Module.eggShell.createValueRef(typeRef, dataRef);
+            var typeRef, dataRef, valueRef;
+            if (eggShellResult !== EGGSHELL_RESULT.OBJECT_NOT_FOUND_AT_PATH) {
+                typeRef = Module.getValue(typeStackPointer, 'i32');
+                dataRef = Module.getValue(dataStackPointer, 'i32');
+                valueRef = Module.eggShell.createValueRef(typeRef, dataRef);
+            }
 
             Module.stackRestore(stack);
             return valueRef;
@@ -255,16 +258,19 @@ var assignEggShell;
             var dataStackPointer = Module.stackAlloc(POINTER_SIZE);
 
             var eggShellResult = Module._EggShell_FindSubValue(Module.eggShell.v_userShell, valueRef.typeRef, valueRef.dataRef, subPathStackPointer, typeStackPointer, dataStackPointer);
-            if (eggShellResult !== EGGSHELL_RESULT.SUCCESS) {
+            if (eggShellResult !== EGGSHELL_RESULT.SUCCESS && eggShellResult !== EGGSHELL_RESULT.OBJECT_NOT_FOUND_AT_PATH) {
                 throw new Error('A ValueRef could not be made for the following reason: ' + eggShellResultEnum[eggShellResult] +
                     ' (error code: ' + eggShellResult + ')' +
                     ' (type name: ' + Module.typeHelpers.typeName(valueRef.typeRef) + ')' +
                     ' (subpath: ' + subPath + ')');
             }
 
-            var typeRef = Module.getValue(typeStackPointer, 'i32');
-            var dataRef = Module.getValue(dataStackPointer, 'i32');
-            var subValueRef = Module.eggShell.createValueRef(typeRef, dataRef);
+            var typeRef, dataRef, subValueRef;
+            if (eggShellResult !== EGGSHELL_RESULT.OBJECT_NOT_FOUND_AT_PATH) {
+                typeRef = Module.getValue(typeStackPointer, 'i32');
+                dataRef = Module.getValue(dataStackPointer, 'i32');
+                subValueRef = Module.eggShell.createValueRef(typeRef, dataRef);
+            }
 
             Module.stackRestore(stack);
             return subValueRef;
diff --git a/test-it/karma/publicapi/AllocateTypes.Test.js b/test-it/karma/publicapi/AllocateTypes.Test.js
index ee2293926..7448a3ddb 100644
--- a/test-it/karma/publicapi/AllocateTypes.Test.js
+++ b/test-it/karma/publicapi/AllocateTypes.Test.js
@@ -67,10 +67,8 @@ describe('Vireo public API allows', function () {
     };
 
     describe('error handling', function () {
-        // Use a memory aligned invalid addess to avoid alignment warnings in debug builds
-        // Debug builds enable SAFE_HEAP which warns on unaligned access: https://kripken.github.io/emscripten-site/docs/porting/guidelines/portability_guidelines.html#other-issues
-        // Wasm supports unaligned memory access, although it may cause performance degradation
-        var invalidAddress = 1024;
+        // Use null pointer for an invalid address. Random values can have unexpected results.
+        var invalidAddress = 0;
         describe('for allocateData', function () {
             it('throws an InvalidTypeRef error given an invalid typeRef', function () {
                 var invalidTypeRef = invalidAddress;
diff --git a/test-it/karma/publicapi/FindSubValueRef.Test.js b/test-it/karma/publicapi/FindSubValueRef.Test.js
index 2fbd8cae1..2e16f90ca 100644
--- a/test-it/karma/publicapi/FindSubValueRef.Test.js
+++ b/test-it/karma/publicapi/FindSubValueRef.Test.js
@@ -59,12 +59,9 @@ describe('The Vireo EggShell findSubValueRef', function () {
             expect(invalidValueRef).toThrow();
         });
 
-        it('throws for a nonexistant path', function () {
-            var invalidPath = function () {
-                vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, 'nonexistantpath');
-            };
-
-            expect(invalidPath).toThrow();
+        it('return undefined for a nonexistant path', function () {
+            var nonExistantValueRef = vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, 'nonexistantpath');
+            expect(nonExistantValueRef).toBeUndefined();
         });
 
         it('finds values of cluster elements', function () {
@@ -87,20 +84,14 @@ describe('The Vireo EggShell findSubValueRef', function () {
             valueRef = vireo.eggShell.findValueRef(viName, arrayOfBooleansPath);
         });
 
-        it('throws for invalid index', function () {
-            var invalidIndex = function () {
-                vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '-1');
-            };
-
-            expect(invalidIndex).toThrow();
+        it('return undefined for invalid index', function () {
+            var nonExistantValueRef = vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '-1');
+            expect(nonExistantValueRef).toBeUndefined();
         });
 
-        it('throws for index out of bounds', function () {
-            var invalidIndex = function () {
-                vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '10');
-            };
-
-            expect(invalidIndex).toThrow();
+        it('return undefined for index out of bounds', function () {
+            var nonExistantValueRef = vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '10');
+            expect(nonExistantValueRef).toBeUndefined();
         });
 
         it('finds a value', function () {
@@ -116,20 +107,14 @@ describe('The Vireo EggShell findSubValueRef', function () {
             valueRef = vireo.eggShell.findValueRef(viName, ndimArrayPath);
         });
 
-        it('throws for an invalid path format', function () {
-            var invalidPathFormat = function () {
-                vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '0,0.0');
-            };
-
-            expect(invalidPathFormat).toThrow();
+        it('return undefined for an invalid path format', function () {
+            var nonExistantValueRef = vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '0,0.0');
+            expect(nonExistantValueRef).toBeUndefined();
         });
 
-        it('throws for index out of bounds', function () {
-            var indexOutOfBounds = function () {
-                vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '2,0,0');
-            };
-
-            expect(indexOutOfBounds).toThrow();
+        it('return undefined for index out of bounds', function () {
+            var nonExistantValueRef = vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '2,0,0');
+            expect(nonExistantValueRef).toBeUndefined();
         });
 
         it('finds values for comma-separated indexes', function () {
@@ -150,12 +135,9 @@ describe('The Vireo EggShell findSubValueRef', function () {
             valueRef = vireo.eggShell.findValueRef(viName, arrayOfClustersPath);
         });
 
-        it('throws for invalid path format', function () {
-            var invalidPathFormat = function () {
-                vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '0,bool');
-            };
-
-            expect(invalidPathFormat).toThrow();
+        it('return undefined for invalid path format', function () {
+            var nonExistantValueRef = vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, '0,bool');
+            expect(nonExistantValueRef).toBeUndefined();
         });
 
         it('finds values for indexes followed by "." field name', function () {
@@ -177,20 +159,14 @@ describe('The Vireo EggShell findSubValueRef', function () {
             valueRef = vireo.eggShell.findValueRef(viName, clusterOfArraysPath);
         });
 
-        it('throws for invalid path format', function () {
-            var invalidPathFormat = function () {
-                vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, 'booleans,0');
-            };
-
-            expect(invalidPathFormat).toThrow();
+        it('return undefined for invalid path format', function () {
+            var nonExistantValueRef = vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, 'booleans,0');
+            expect(nonExistantValueRef).toBeUndefined();
         });
 
-        it('throws for index out of bounds', function () {
-            var indexOutOfBounds = function () {
-                vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, 'booleans.3');
-            };
-
-            expect(indexOutOfBounds).toThrow();
+        it('return undefined for index out of bounds', function () {
+            var nonExistantValueRef = vireo.eggShell.findSubValueRef(valueRef, 'booleans.3');
+            expect(nonExistantValueRef).toBeUndefined();
         });
 
         it('finds values for fields followed by "." index', function () {
diff --git a/test-it/karma/publicapi/FindValueRef.Test.js b/test-it/karma/publicapi/FindValueRef.Test.js
index 217a920a6..c263be998 100644
--- a/test-it/karma/publicapi/FindValueRef.Test.js
+++ b/test-it/karma/publicapi/FindValueRef.Test.js
@@ -33,25 +33,19 @@ describe('The Vireo EggShell findValueRef api can', function () {
         expect(valueRef.dataRef).not.toBe(0);
     });
 
-    it('to throw for a nonexistant vi name', function () {
-        var invalidViName = function () {
-            vireo.eggShell.findValueRef('nonexistantvi', pathName);
-        };
-        expect(invalidViName).toThrowError(/ObjectNotFoundAtPath/);
+    it('to return undefined for a nonexistant vi name', function () {
+        var valueRef = vireo.eggShell.findValueRef('nonexistantvi', pathName);
+        expect(valueRef).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
-    it('to throw for an empty vi name', function () {
-        var invalidViName = function () {
-            vireo.eggShell.findValueRef('', pathName);
-        };
-        expect(invalidViName).toThrowError(/ObjectNotFoundAtPath/);
+    it('to return undefined for an empty vi name', function () {
+        var valueRef = vireo.eggShell.findValueRef('', pathName);
+        expect(valueRef).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
-    it('to throw for a nonexistant path', function () {
-        var invalidPath = function () {
-            vireo.eggShell.findValueRef(viName, 'nonexistantvalue');
-        };
-        expect(invalidPath).toThrowError(/ObjectNotFoundAtPath/);
+    it('to return undefined for a nonexistant path', function () {
+        var valueRef = vireo.eggShell.findValueRef(viName, 'nonexistantvalue');
+        expect(valueRef).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
     it('to return a typeRef for the the local scope of a VI for an empty path', function () {
diff --git a/test-it/karma/publicapi/TypedArray.Test.js b/test-it/karma/publicapi/TypedArray.Test.js
index 2fbd02e2f..cb9f270d8 100644
--- a/test-it/karma/publicapi/TypedArray.Test.js
+++ b/test-it/karma/publicapi/TypedArray.Test.js
@@ -107,9 +107,7 @@ describe('The Vireo EggShell Typed Array api', function () {
                 readTypedArray('arrayString');
             }).toThrowError(/UnexpectedObjectType/);
 
-            expect(function () {
-                readTypedArray('nonExistantPath');
-            }).toThrowError(/ObjectNotFoundAtPath/);
+            expect(vireo.eggShell.findValueRef(viName, 'nonExistantPath')).toBeUndefined();
 
             expect(function () {
                 readTypedArray('scalarUInt32');