Handling 'Object reference not set to an instance of an object' in Async Method with Entity Framework Core
I'm working on a personal project and I'm encountering a frustrating `Object reference not set to an instance of an object` exception when trying to retrieve an entity asynchronously in my ASP.NET Core application using Entity Framework Core 6.0. The method is structured around the repository pattern, and I thought I had everything configured correctly. Here’s the relevant code snippet for my repository method: ```csharp public async Task<MyEntity> GetEntityByIdAsync(int id) { return await _context.MyEntities.FindAsync(id); } ``` In my service layer, I'm calling this method like this: ```csharp public async Task<MyEntityDto> GetEntityDtoAsync(int id) { var entity = await _repository.GetEntityByIdAsync(id); return _mapper.Map<MyEntityDto>(entity); } ``` When I run this code, if the `id` does not correspond to an existing entity in the database, I receive the aforementioned exception when trying to map the entity. I tried adding a null check before the mapping: ```csharp if (entity == null) return null; ``` However, the issue persists, and it seems to occur only when the method is awaited. I also checked my database connection string in `appsettings.json`, and it appears to be correct: ```json "ConnectionStrings": { "DefaultConnection": "Server=myServer;Database=myDb;Trusted_Connection=True;" } ``` I also ensured that my DbContext is properly configured in `Startup.cs`: ```csharp services.AddDbContext<MyDbContext>(options => options.UseSqlServer(Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection"))); ``` Could there be something I'm missing in terms of the asynchronous operation or the way the DbContext is being managed? Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Am I missing something obvious?