When trying to create integration test for existing legacy database schema I cannot instantiate the domain class inside the integration test or with the controller class itself. ex: I have a County Domain Class with a corresponding hbm file located in the hiberate directory. I also have the crud created with generate-all CountyController plus views. I also have an Integration Test CountyTest that call a method on the CountyController .countyCombo. The problem is that I cannot create/instantiate the County Object from within the CountyTest integration test and also the countyCombo will not let me create a County object either. Files are attached but here is the example code from the Integration test CountyTest and the CountyController countyCombo method I think this must have to do something with the hibernate hbm and how spring is loading it in the context. If I create just a plain domain object using grails it allows me to instantiate it both in the Integration test and the Controller. class CountyTests extends GroovyTestCase { void testSomething() { def cc = new CountyController() def cty = new County() // this is not working. Always is null println(cc) def aList = cc.countyCombo() assert(aList.size() == 100) } } //CountyController class def countyCombo = { def countyList = new ArrayList() def county = new County() // This does not create a County either println(county) countyList = County.findAll() // Here is where I am getting the NullPointerException LabelValueBean lvb = new LabelValueBean("*Select*", null); List aList = new ArrayList(); for(County in countyList){ aList.add(new LabelValueBean(County.getName(), County.getId())); } return aList }