Chain is throwing a NullPointerException when action is set to a closure value rather than a String

Our team is attempting to upgrade a Grails 1.3.7 application to Grails 2.0.1. Our controllers are completely closure based, and we make heavy use of the action chaining.

We've discovered that Grails is throwing a NullPointerException when the closure is passed as an action to the chain() call rather than a string. For example:

chain(action: create, params: params) // fail

chain(action: 'create', params: params) // win!

I've reproduced this in both our app and a small sample app I've built.

Here is the stack trace:

2012-02-29 18:06:13,842 [http-bio-8080-exec-2] ERROR StackTrace - Full Stack Trace:
2012-02-29 18:06:13,840 [http-bio-8080-exec-2] ERROR StackTrace - Full Stack Trace:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils.makeAccessible(ReflectionUtils.java:420)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.commons.GrailsClassUtils.getPropertyDescriptorForValue(GrailsClassUtils.java:167)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.commons.GrailsClassUtils$getPropertyDescriptorForValue.call(Unknown Source)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.metaclass.ChainMethod.invoke(ChainMethod.groovy:56)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.plugins.web.api.ControllersApi.chain(ControllersApi.java:242)
at bugs.test.PersonController$$ENQNARYW.chain(PersonController.groovy)
at bugs.test.PersonController$$DNQNARYW.chain(Unknown Source)
at bugs.test.PersonController.chain(PersonController.groovy)
at bugs.test.PersonController$chain.callCurrent(Unknown Source)
at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.CallSiteArray.defaultCallCurrent(CallSiteArray.java:46)
at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callCurrent(AbstractCallSite.java:133)
at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callCurrent(AbstractCallSite.java:141)
at bugs.test.PersonController$$ENQNARYW.save(PersonController.groovy:29)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at com.springsource.loaded.ri.ReloadedTypeInvoker$2.invoke(ReloadedTypeInvoker.java:107)
at com.springsource.loaded.ri.ReflectiveInterceptor.jlrMethodInvoke(ReflectiveInterceptor.java:1260)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.servlet.mvc.MixedGrailsControllerHelper.invoke(MixedGrailsControllerHelper.java:67)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractGrailsControllerHelper.handleAction(AbstractGrailsControllerHelper.java:330)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractGrailsControllerHelper.executeAction(AbstractGrailsControllerHelper.java:211)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractGrailsControllerHelper.handleURI(AbstractGrailsControllerHelper.java:177)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractGrailsControllerHelper.handleURI(AbstractGrailsControllerHelper.java:116)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.servlet.mvc.SimpleGrailsController.handleRequest(SimpleGrailsController.java:72)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.SimpleControllerHandlerAdapter.handle(SimpleControllerHandlerAdapter.java:48)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.servlet.GrailsDispatcherServlet.doDispatch(GrailsDispatcherServlet.java:325)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:827)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:882)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doPost(FrameworkServlet.java:789)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:641)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:722)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:305)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:70)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:70)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:70)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.invoke(ApplicationDispatcher.java:684)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.processRequest(ApplicationDispatcher.java:471)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.doForward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:402)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.forward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:329)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.util.WebUtils.forwardRequestForUrlMappingInfo(WebUtils.java:311)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.util.WebUtils.forwardRequestForUrlMappingInfo(WebUtils.java:276)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.util.WebUtils.forwardRequestForUrlMappingInfo(WebUtils.java:267)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.mapping.filter.UrlMappingsFilter.doFilterInternal(UrlMappingsFilter.java:209)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.sitemesh.GrailsPageFilter.obtainContent(GrailsPageFilter.java:200)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.sitemesh.GrailsPageFilter.doFilter(GrailsPageFilter.java:151)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at javax.servlet.FilterChain$doFilter.call(Unknown Source)
at org.grails.plugin.resource.DevModeSanityFilter.doFilter(DevModeSanityFilter.groovy:44)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.servlet.mvc.GrailsWebRequestFilter.doFilterInternal(GrailsWebRequestFilter.java:69)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.codehaus.groovy.grails.web.filters.HiddenHttpMethodFilter.doFilterInternal(HiddenHttpMethodFilter.java:65)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:88)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:346)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:259)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:224)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:169)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:168)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:98)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:118)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:407)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.AbstractHttp11Processor.process(AbstractHttp11Processor.java:987)
at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$AbstractConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:579)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(JIoEndpoint.java:307)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
2012-02-29 18:06:13,841 [http-bio-8080-exec-2] ERROR StackTrace - Full Stack Trace:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at bugs.test.PersonController$$ENQNARYW.save(PersonController.groovy:29)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
2012-02-29 18:06:13,842 [http-bio-8080-exec-2] ERROR StackTrace - Full Stack Trace:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at bugs.test.PersonController$$ENQNARYW.save(PersonController.groovy:29)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
2012-02-29 18:06:13,842 [http-bio-8080-exec-2] ERROR StackTrace - Full Stack Trace:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at bugs.test.PersonController$$ENQNARYW.save(PersonController.groovy:29)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
2012-02-29 18:06:13,842 [http-bio-8080-exec-2] ERROR StackTrace - Full Stack Trace:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at bugs.test.PersonController$$ENQNARYW.save(PersonController.groovy:29)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
2012-02-29 18:06:13,842 [http-bio-8080-exec-2] ERROR StackTrace - Full Stack Trace:
java.lang.NullPointerException
at bugs.test.PersonController$$ENQNARYW.save(PersonController.groovy:29)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)