diff --git a/app/controllers/todos/todo_create_params_helper.rb b/app/controllers/todos/todo_create_params_helper.rb
index c3ba490a..89f4e322 100644
--- a/app/controllers/todos/todo_create_params_helper.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/todos/todo_create_params_helper.rb
@@ -1,38 +1,39 @@
 module Todos
   class TodoCreateParamsHelper
 
-    attr_reader :new_project_created, :new_context_created, :attributes
+    attr_reader :new_project_created, :new_context_created
 
     def initialize(params, user)
       @params = params['request'] || params
-      @attributes = find_attributes(params)
+      @attributes = params['request'] && params['request']['todo'] || params['todo']
+      @attributes = {} if @attributes.nil?  # make sure there is at least an empty hash
       @user = user
       @errors = []
 
-      if attributes[:tags]
+      if @attributes[:tags]
         # for single tags, @attributed[:tags] returns a hash. For multiple tags,
         # it with return an array of hashes. Make sure it is always an array of hashes
-        attributes[:tags][:tag] = [attributes[:tags][:tag]] unless attributes[:tags][:tag].class == Array
+        @attributes[:tags][:tag] = [@attributes[:tags][:tag]] unless @attributes[:tags][:tag].class == Array
         # the REST api may use <tags> which will collide with tags association, so rename tags to add_tags
-        attributes[:add_tags] = attributes[:tags]
-        attributes.delete :tags
+        @attributes[:add_tags] = @attributes[:tags]
+        @attributes.delete :tags
       end
 
       @new_project_created = find_or_create_group(:project, user.projects, project_name)
       @new_context_created = find_or_create_group(:context, user.contexts, context_name)
-      attributes["starred"] = (params[:new_todo_starred]||"").include? "true" if params[:new_todo_starred]
+      @attributes["starred"] = (params[:new_todo_starred]||"").include? "true" if params[:new_todo_starred]
     end
 
-    def find_attributes(params)
-      (params['request'] && params['request']['todo']) || params['todo']
+    def attributes
+      @attributes
     end
 
     def show_from
-      attributes['show_from']
+      @attributes['show_from']
     end
 
     def due
-      attributes['due']
+      @attributes['due']
     end
 
     def project_name
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ module Todos
     end
 
     def project_id
-      attributes['project_id']
+      @attributes['project_id']
     end
 
     def context_name
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ module Todos
     end
 
     def context_id
-      attributes['context_id']
+      @attributes['context_id']
     end
 
     def tag_list
@@ -79,14 +80,14 @@ module Todos
     end
 
     def project_specified_by_name?
-      return false unless attributes['project_id'].blank?
+      return false unless @attributes['project_id'].blank?
       return false if project_name.blank?
       return false if project_name == 'None'
       true
     end
 
     def context_specified_by_name?
-      return false unless attributes['context_id'].blank?
+      return false unless @attributes['context_id'].blank?
       return false if context_name.blank?
       true
     end
@@ -99,18 +100,18 @@ module Todos
 
     def find_or_create_group(group_type, set, name)
       return set_id_by_name(group_type, set, name) if specified_by_name?(group_type)
-      return set_id_by_id_string(group_type, set, attributes["#{group_type}_id"]) if specified_by_id?(group_type)
+      return set_id_by_id_string(group_type, set, @attributes["#{group_type}_id"]) if specified_by_id?(group_type)
     end
 
     def set_id_by_name(group_type, set, name)
       group = set.where(:name => name).first_or_create
-      attributes["#{group_type}_id"] = group.id
+      @attributes["#{group_type}_id"] = group.id
       return group.new_record_before_save?
     end
 
     def set_id_by_id_string(group_type, set, id)
-      # be aware, this will replace the project_id/context_id (string) in attributes with the new found id (int)
-      attributes["#{group_type}_id"] = set.find(id).id
+      # be aware, this will replace the project_id/context_id (string) in @attributes with the new found id (int)
+      @attributes["#{group_type}_id"] = set.find(id).id
       return false
     rescue
       @errors << { :attribute => group_type, :message => "unknown"}