diff --git a/game-app/game-headed/src/main/java/games/strategy/triplea/ui/CommentPanel.java b/game-app/game-headed/src/main/java/games/strategy/triplea/ui/CommentPanel.java
index 8bd306aa994..5098c4ab10b 100644
--- a/game-app/game-headed/src/main/java/games/strategy/triplea/ui/CommentPanel.java
+++ b/game-app/game-headed/src/main/java/games/strategy/triplea/ui/CommentPanel.java
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@
 @Slf4j
 class CommentPanel extends JPanel {
   private static final long serialVersionUID = -9122162393288045888L;
+
+  private static final Pattern COMMENT_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("^COMMENT: (.*)");
+
   private JTextPane text;
   private JScrollPane scrollPane;
   private JTextField nextMessage;
@@ -134,16 +137,17 @@ public void treeStructureChanged(final TreeModelEvent e) {
   private void readHistoryTreeEvent(final TreeModelEvent e) {
     SwingAction.invokeNowOrLater(
         () -> {
-          final Document doc = text.getDocument();
-          final HistoryNode node = (HistoryNode) e.getTreePath().getLastPathComponent();
-          final TreeNode child =
-              node == null ? null : (node.getChildCount() > 0 ? node.getLastChild() : null);
-          final String title =
-              child != null
-                  ? (child instanceof Event ? ((Event) child).getDescription() : child.toString())
-                  : (node != null ? node.getTitle() : "");
-          final Pattern p = Pattern.compile("^COMMENT: (.*)");
-          final Matcher m = p.matcher(title);
+          final Object[] children = e.getChildren();
+          final Object child =
+              (children != null && children.length > 0) ? children[children.length - 1] : null;
+          final String title;
+          if (child != null) {
+            title = (child instanceof Event) ? ((Event) child).getDescription() : child.toString();
+          } else {
+            final HistoryNode node = (HistoryNode) e.getTreePath().getLastPathComponent();
+            title = (node != null) ? node.getTitle() : "";
+          }
+          final Matcher m = COMMENT_PATTERN.matcher(title);
           if (m.matches()) {
             final GamePlayer gamePlayer;
             final String player;
@@ -156,6 +160,7 @@ private void readHistoryTreeEvent(final TreeModelEvent e) {
             final Icon icon = iconMap.get(gamePlayer);
             try {
               // insert into ui document
+              final Document doc = text.getDocument();
               final String prefix = " " + player + "(" + round + ") : ";
               text.insertIcon(icon);
               doc.insertString(doc.getLength(), prefix, bold);